Like Angels From Heaven
by alittlesummerwine
Summary: Set during Starcrossed. How will the Justice League deal with the betrayal handed to them by a teammate, the revelation of identities, and how will both the League and the relationships within ultimately survive the Thanagarian invasion? BMWW.
1. Winds of Change

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_Title: Like Angels From Heaven_

_"We know they came here and risked their own lives to help us." - Diana_

_"Like angels from heaven?" - General_

_A foray into third person perspective. Hope no one minds. We'll see how long it lasts. It may take a little getting used to, so bear with me. This way I can write about a little more than what just BMWW sees during the story._

_This story is probably going to be incredibly long, but I hope you like it and stick with me until the end. As always, please review, it's very much appreciated!_

_Also, I decided to start this story a little differently. I didn't want to jump right into Starcrossed; I wanted to take a minute to look back at the progress that their relationship has made, how far they've come in acknowledging their feelings for one another and I think it will help give Diana and Bruce a little insight into their relationship as they face turbulent times ahead, something I will try to allude to. Hope you enjoy this – it's a little different, but the bulk, the heart of Starcrossed will come soon!_

_If you haven't seen Starcrossed, #1 – you should, and #2 – just email or pm me and I'll try to explain it to you!_

**Chapter 1, Winds of Change, by the Scorpions **

_"The wind of change blows straight into the face of time…Take me to the magic of the moment, on a glory night/where the children of tomorrow share their dreams" _

Diana woke up on New Year's Day to find herself alone, the bed cold and lonely without a certain Dark Knight warming the sheets and her body. Dampening down her disappointment, she looked outside to realize that that the sky was still pitch black, that morning had not yet arrived; therefore, Batman would still be patrolling and Diana was on her own for now. She knew that she couldn't begrudge him his city, his need to protect it and its citizens from the fate that he had suffered, but still, she couldn't help that she missed him, that she wanted him back in bed with her, wrapped around each other in sleep and in those first precious moments of dawn before they each headed back to their own individual lives.

She leaned back against the pillows, letting her hair flow across the silk of the comforter as she stared at the empty side of the bed, as she wished that he would walk in right now, hale and hearty and just hold her until their time together was up. But, that wasn't to be. At least, not right now, so she decided to settle for her memories, for the moments that they'd spent together in the past to warm her and help pass the time as she eagerly awaited his return.

_The First Time She Saw Him - Batman _

The first time that Diana had seen Batman had been prior to the formation of the League, when they had all banded together, thanks to J'onn, in order to fight the alien parasite invaders and save Earth from its fate at their hands. She had defied her mother's orders and left the sanctity of Themyscira for Man's World, an act that had changed her life as she knew it. Still, she couldn't regret the decision that she had made at the time, after all, look where it had led her. She smiled softly to herself, running her fingers over the silk of the comforter before placing her hand, palm down, on Bruce's side of the bed. Without defying her mother's direct orders, she would have never been in this place, both emotionally and physically. It had been that act of defiance that had led her into love, into new experiences, new friends, and into the arms of a man that she cared so deeply for.

Sighing, she remembered the courage that it had taken her to walk away from Themyscira, regardless that she knew she was doing the right thing; it had taken all her willpower. But she realized that she was needed elsewhere, that her gifts were something that the world outside of the Amazons needed, particularly when the world faced such terrible omens. And so, she had left, often she had often looked back, not with regret, but with missing.

She had first come to the rescue of Hawkgirl, of Shayera, of her fellow sister in comrade. The battle had raged around her and she'd fought alongside them, deflecting the lasers with her bracelets and forgetting about Themyscira in the heat of the battle.

Her introduction to Flash had not gone quite as well. She had been so unused to his teasing, his optimistically sweet nature and now she took a moment to laugh softly at herself, at the naive little girl that she had been when she had first arrived on Man's World, anxious to prove herself and embark upon her mission of peace and protection.

Taking Bruce's pillow into her hands, she hugged in, leaning in and sniffing it, smelling the scent of Bruce on it; that mixture of soap and sweat that somehow defined him – the playboy and the protector. But when she'd first seen it, her reaction had been somewhat different. He had been standing down below the battle, taking no part in the fight and her immediate thought had been that he was cowardly, that he was letting them brawl and scrap while he stood on the sidelines, idly waiting. Later, she had realized exactly how wrong she was.

He had demanded respect from the first, regardless of his lack of powers or strength, he was a formidable man. She'd seen the way that the others had automatically looked to him for guidance and leadership during this time of intense crisis. And he had unfailingly and without hesitation stepped into the breach, into the shoes that no one else had the will or the way to fill. The others were powered, were each so strong in their own way and it had taken her some time to realize that Batman was simply powered in a way that was different than the others.

He was brilliant.

He also never hesitated to put himself in danger, to step into danger and use his wits and strength in his own indomitable way to provide them with a victory. She had seen it time and again, but that first, that first moment when she realized, or had presumed at the time, that he had sacrificed himself for herself and J'onn, she had realized the caliber of the warrior that was Batman.

And her respect had grown in leaps and bounds since that moment, since she had come to understand the man better with each passing day, with each mission. They had often paired off together, working well as a team, but for now, she focused only on that first time, when she thought that he had died in combat.

When he had reappeared, as if by magic, when they were trapped on the alien mother ship, she had been both stunned and elated, a combination of sensations that she had never experienced before. Apparently, there had been a link between them from the beginning, she now realized, and she hugged the pillow a little tighter, wishing that he would return home from patrol.

_The First Time She Had Kissed Him _

The League's introduction to Gorilla Grodd had been memorable to say the least. So many details of that time were still so clear in her mind – the heat of the force field surrounding Gorilla City, the dirt and grime that had clogged her lungs and stolen her breath when that missile had rolled on her, and especially the slight hint of stubble that had graced Batman's cheek when she had brushed her lips over them.

She placed Bruce's pillow back on his side of the bed before rising from the bed and padding to the bathroom. Glancing at a clock along the way, she realized that it was still only 3:30AM and that Bruce could be a few more hours, depending on how raucous the festivities were that night. But Diana wasn't tired anymore – her mind was alight with memories and so she decided to take a bath, to relax and simply let her recollections fill her mind as they may.

Turning the water on, she sat on the lip of the tub, remembering the feel of the missile plummeting down on top of her as she had tried desperately to stop its progress, to stop it from injuring the innocent citizens of Gorilla City as it continued its lethal path. She had watched helplessly as its nose had dipped into the ground, tilting it with deadly accuracy towards her and she had been pushed down. The first few moments had been incredibly uncomfortable as she had laid there, trying to catch her breath amongst the dust and debris that had risen, cutting off her air. But it had settled quickly and she had taken a deep breath to calm herself, to assess the situation. Lying there, she had heard the clawing of the ground and she knew that someone was trying to save her, that someone was frenziedly digging around the missile, attempting a rescue, and it was then that she realized that she still had the strength to push the missile upwards and off her body.

And standing, she had spoken to the citizens of Gorilla City, telling them that their city had been saved. They truly had averted a crisis that day and Diana had began a crisis of the heart, as it had been then that she had realized that there was a lighter side to the Dark Knight. Looking down, she had seen the dirt that clung to his gauntlets and when she had looked at him quizzically, he had brushed her off, hiding his hands under his cape. Typical Bruce, she thought, watching idly as the water rose in the tub.

Finally, it reached a satisfactory height and she turned off the water, letting herself slide slowly into the tub, enjoying the heat and the water lapping at her feet and breasts. It was utterly relaxing. Closing her eyes, she lay there, surrounded by water as she recalled that first kiss, that first slow slide of her lips across his cheek. He had blushed at the contact and she had found the action totally endearing, totally unlike the forbidding and sober Dark Knight. It had been that moment that she'd realized that there was more to this man than met the eye and vowed to plumb the depths, to fight through the challenge of the exterior and find what lay beneath.

Diana smiled to herself, realizing that she was still fighting, that she was still trying to discover what lay underneath the cowl and cape, regardless of what she had learned thus far in their partnership and their relationship.

She did enjoy a challenge.

Still, she had the distinct feeling that this was simply the calm before the storm, that many challenges lay ahead for each of them, and for their relationship. It hadn't been smooth sailing thus far, but Diana also knew that this holiday time had been so idyllic. She wouldn't at all be surprised if they now suddenly faced their greatest challenge, simply because she was so happy, so joyful and carefree for the first time in a long time.

_The First Time That She Had Danced With Him_

But now wasn't the time to think about what lay ahead, she wanted to remember, to enjoy the memories floating through her brain much like the rose scented oil in the bath.

That night in Kasnia had been a revelation. So many things had converged on her at once as she had looked into the face of the handsome "stranger" asking her to dance. She had immediately agreed though, once she kept herself from swallowing her tongue. Diana had known that something was familiar about him, that he wasn't simply a stranger bent on rescuing her from the throng of questions and paparazzi members.

But, in the midst of the dance, it had come to her, thanks in part to J'onn and his mental machinations. She had a feeling that the Martian enjoyed a little matchmaking, enjoyed seeing those around him happy, regardless of the reason. Perhaps it helped him to forget, perhaps he enjoyed seeing the people that he cared for, his new family, partnering off and finding love with one another. The reason notwithstanding, she was grateful for his interference and his unflinching support of her and Bruce's relationship thus far.

Sitting up in the tub, she let the water slowly drain out, reaching for one of the midnight blue towels that were lined up on the wall. Patting herself dry, Diana remembered the feel of his strong arms about her, the smooth and easy way that he had danced, and she had enjoyed the teasing moments between them as they had whirled around the ballroom, lost in each other. She had often wondered what would have happened, or if things would have been different if the Kasnia freedom fighters had not interfered with their dance.

But that didn't mattered. What mattered was the here and now. And the fact that she had the remnants of that dress in her closet on the Watchtower, hidden in a box along with other mementos of their somewhat strange but deepening and growing relationship.

Each of those moments had led her here, she thought, toweling her hair before tossing the towel in the laundry basket and quietly walking back to the bed. It was still cold and alone and she simply wasn't ready to face it, wasn't ready to stop the memories from coming and sink back into the solitude of sleep.

Perhaps Alfred would join her in a game of chess. She slipped on a cotton robe that had the initials "BW" embroidered on the front packet and headed to the door, only to find a presence lurking on the other side of it.

She smiled at him, surreptitiously checking him over for wounds and newly acquired bruises. He looked relatively whole and hearty, albeit for once bruise peppering the side of his shoulder. He wore only a pair of jeans, having left the Bat-suit down in the cave before coming upstairs.

"What happened?" she asked, pointing to the bruises.

"Joker decided to have a little New Year's fun," he told her, taking a few steps into the bedroom before pulling her into his arms. She leaned her head into his neck, smelling that scent from earlier and smiling to herself before kissing the spot where shoulder met nape. "Nice to have you back," she whispered.

He just gave her a little squeeze before drawing back, walking over to the bed, taking a seat on the edge as he looped his fingers in the top of his jeans, pushing them down to the floor. "I heard rumors about a potential terrorist plot tonight, and I think we need to…"

"Bruce," Diana murmured softly. She walked over to him and cupped his face in her hands, gently pulling until he looked up at her. "Not right now," she said in a whispered tone, ducking down and bringing her lips against his in a sweet kiss that quickly grew passionate, tongues dueling for supremacy and hands feverishly caressing one another.

"Tomorrow," she mumbled and with a growl of assent, he pulled her down to the bed beside him, dragging her lips back to his and losing themselves in each other.

**_Next chapter: Ordinary World – As the Justice League watches and waits for terrorists to strike at the International Peace summit, another surprise is in store for them…_**

_To reviewer T concerning Nice & Cozy – It's definitely nice to know that even if you don't review at all during this story, I know that you'll be there! I really do worry that people aren't reading my story or don't like. I think I'm a little insecure about it, so bear with me. _

_And I'm glad that you were so excited that you decided that you had to review! Don't suppress the excitement, tell me! I really appreciate it._

_No flame, no guilt. You worded it perfectly. Some people really liked the Dick/Donna pairing, others not so much. Guess it all comes down to me and what I decide to do. And I like it._

_I love hardcore BMWW fans! Mostly because I'm quite obviously one of them. The one nice thing about the fanfiction site is that you don't have to have an account. I didn't for a really long time either. _

_I love your idolized words of wonder! Telling me that I'm among the top 3 BMWW writers is one of the best compliments anyone has ever given me. I've read some of the greats and I really don't see myself in their league, but here's hoping, right? THANKS!_


	2. Ordinary World

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_During the episode Starcrossed, the Thanagarians, Hawkgirl's people, arrive on Earth in order to secure it from the Gordanians, the Thanagarian's mortal enemies. But things are not always as they seem and things are changing for everyone in the League, including past decisions, alliances, friendships, even relationships._

**Chapter 2, Ordinary World, by Duran Duran**

"_But I won't cry for yesterday/There's an ordinary world/Somehow I have to find/And as I try to make my way/To the ordinary world/I will learn to survive"_

Blearily, Diana opened her eyes as a shaft of light beamed through the room, bouncing off of walls and bed sheets. Groaning, she tried pulling a pillow over to her head, but to no avail. The light continued to sear her eyes and finally she decided that perhaps it was time to wake up, to face the morning.

Peering out from under the pillow, she noticed Bruce standing by the windows, speared by a ray of sunlight and she watched for a moment as he stared out onto the grounds of the Manor, watching something, but what she had no idea. Rolling her neck, she stretched on the bed, moaning as her tightened muscles protested the movement, but finally, she collapsed in a state of happy contentment, sighing as she stared across the room at her lover.

He looked over at her, smiling slightly at her sigh, and releasing the curtains, he walked back to the bed and perched on the edge, draped only in his navy silk robe.

She would have preferred him nude.

But still, she wasn't complaining. He ran his hand down the length of her body, finally pausing to rest his hand idly on her hip, but she knew he wasn't hoping for a morning repeat of last night's sexual escapades, but rather, his mind was lost in thought. Still, she approved of the contact and the warmth that his hand provided as it lay against her hip.

Scooting up onto her elbow, she propped her jaw in her hand and looked at him with idle curiosity, wondering where exactly his bountiful intelligence had taken him this time. "Bruce?" she murmured, trying to gain his attention with the words without breaking him completely from his reverie.

He looked down the bed at her, removing his hand from her hip and rubbing her leg in long, smooth strokes from the knee to the bones that jutted out from the base of her body. "Just thinking."

"Anything in particular?" she asked, yawning a little and absentmindedly wondering what time it was and if Alfred knew how to make iced mochas. Somehow, she had a feeling that Bruce's butler could manage just about anything, at the very least an iced mocha. She was dying for some caffeine and that jolt of sweetness as it slid slowly down her throat. Practically drooling, she sat up, looking for a robe or something in which to dress herself. Spying a black terry cloth robe in the bathroom, she made her way to it, wrapping herself firmly in its depths.

"The terrorist plot I mentioned last night."

"Did you hear anything to give credence to the rumors?" she asked him, wandering back over to the bed and taking a seat next to him. He automatically reached for her, almost without any knowledge of the movement, and wrapped his fingers around her knee where it peaked through the bottom of the robe. Their thighs brushed and she had to fight the urge to simply lay her legs across his knees, connecting them even further. But she stayed still, knowing that his brain was deep in the thought process and that he probably wouldn't appreciate either the movement or the distraction.

"Nothing concrete," he murmured, almost as if he wasn't even aware of her being in the room, "Nothing definite, but maybe…" He trailed off and Diana sat there for a few minutes, taking in the view of her handsome lover – the square jaw line scruffy and sexy in the early morning, his hair mussed and tousled from sleep and sex, his body lean, muscular, and superbly athletic and she silently thanked the gods for his presence in her life, for the relationship that had developed so firmly and furtively between them.

She smiled softly and leaned over, gently clasping his hand that lay on top of her knee and giving it a tiny squeeze. His head jerked and he immediately looked over to her, a sheepish expression on his face as he realized that he had forgotten that she was there, that his brain was elsewhere when Wonder Woman was in the room, particularly a partially naked Wonder Woman whom had kept him up for several hours last night enjoying a lengthy and sensual bout of sex.

You're an idiot, Bruce, he told himself. But his brain still continued to be enveloped by the potential terrorist plot he had heard the rumors about and he knew that he couldn't afford rest of the distraction that Diana provided until he had either substantiated or revoked them.

"I need to go down to the cave," he said, looking at her with a hint of apology in his dark eyes. She simply smiled, leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. "I know," she whispered against his cheek, "Go figure it out."

Five nights later, each of the members of the Justice League had assumed a position outside the building where the International Peace Summit was to be held in Washington, D.C. Batman had given each of them their barking orders during the weekly meeting held just two days before. He had arrived late to the meeting, an unusual occurrence for him. Usually if he was late, he simply didn't show, letting the team know without words that he had other priorities that often were held high above what more or less boiled down to a staff meeting of sorts.

Instead, he had arrived as Superman was opening the meeting, looking haggard and drawn, obviously having spent hours fact-finding at the computer, searching out various informants, and using his general techniques of intimidation and force in order to extract any information that he could about the potential of a terrorist threat at the Peace Summit. The intelligence he brought in was in better shape than he was and certainly seemed sturdier. Even Flash had been quiet during the meeting, for once not bothering to tease Batman and play the fool as they discussed the growing possibility of a terrorist strike.

Diana had sent slanting glances at the Dark Knight, trying to determine his state of mind while mulling over problems at the Peace Summit, a gathering that she believed wholeheartedly in. The past few days they had spent separately with barely a moment between them in order to talk or steal a few minutes away from the others and she had missed them, missed the closeness that had risen between them during their time alone over the Christmas holidays. But still, she had understood from the inception of their relationship that they had other duties that had to be put before their relationship, priorities that didn't concern one another, but the safety of the world, of Gotham City. She didn't begrudge that, but it certainly made for a challenging relationship sometimes. Still, she was grateful for the time that they did manage to spend together and so she focused on that instead whenever she found herself wondering what criminal he was fighting in Gotham or what case he was so intently solving.

Underneath the table, he reached over and gave her knee a little squeeze, just sign enough for her to know that he was okay underneath the scruffy exterior, that he was simply tired from putting in so many hours at work and at his second work. But his time had paid off and now they knew that they were going to have to formulate a plan.

Of course, Batman had already taken care of that as well, as was his usual assumption of leadership, no matter how profusely he denied it.

So, here they were in D.C., watching the skies and the streets for any sign of problems. It was simply a waiting game at this point, wondering if Batman's information would ultimately come to fruition. Batman was perched on one of the government buildings that lined D.C., watching the building across from him intently, with binoculars pressed against his eyes, checking constantly for any problems.

"The delegates from Kasnia are just arriving. Any sign of trouble?"

Diana was the first to answer, "Nothing here." She was circling the area around the lawn, checking over the Washington Monument and hadn't seen anything yet but a few tourists taking pictures and a few joggers running along the paths, sweating profusely as they sipped from water bottles and listened to their mp3 players.

Flash zoomed up in front of the White House, telling Batman, "Zilch. Not even a sleazy politician." As J'onn came up from the ground and solidified, Flash asked, "Are you sure we need to be here?"

His tone was pleading and plaintive, obviously a little irritated at trying to be patient as they waited for something to happen.

"According to my sources, terrorists have targeted this International Peace Summit," Batman told him in a firm tone that booked no argument from the scarlet speedster.

"They would have to do it during the playoffs," Flash whined.

"What if these terrorists are already inside?" J'onn asked quietly, ignoring Flash as he peered around him, trying to determine if anything looked amiss.

"I've got that covered," Batman stated. He could only imagine Lois Lane's reaction to Clark Kent being the primary reporter covering the International Peace Summit for the Daily Planet. He was currently ensconced in the building across the street, pencil and paper in hand, and somehow, Batman imagined, fending off Lois' anger in way that only he could.

At that moment, Hawkgirl and John Stewart were up in the air, exchanging flirtations, a light kiss, and promising to meet up later for Chinese food. After their gentle teasing ended, each took to their own parts of the sky, patrolling the city of D.C. and watching for problems that might arise.

Suddenly, Batman sees explosives light up the sky beyond the Washington Monument and immediately states, "GL, report!"

The Green Lantern, Diana, and Hawkgirl all took to the area from which the explosives were being emitted and a large alien spacecraft appeared in the sky just before them. It was extremely large, dominating the skyline and did not seem to remind Diana or Green Lantern of anything that they had previously seen.

"Not exactly your garden variety terrorists," Green Lantern told Batman, checking out the ship as it continued to coast towards the White House, the obvious target for its trajectory.

"It's a Gordanian Class 7 Cruiser!" Hawkgirl shouted as she recognized the ship in front of her as one of the ships belonging to the grave enemy of the Thanagarians. She had seen many of these types of crafts before, and although it had been five years, her voice was laced with alarm, with total and absolute concern as the large ship came closer to the three Justice League members.

"What?" Green Lantern blurted in confusion.

"Watch out for the plasma cannon!" she yelled and within seconds, a fiery heat burst across the sky, hitting Diana and Green Lantern while Hawkgirl swooped to the side, out of harm's way. Diana and Green Lantern were thrown hundreds of yards backwards, and as they hurtled towards the Washington Monument, Flash raced over to where they were headed, creating a small whirlwind and lowering the heroes to the ground, unconscious but unharmed.

The cannon fired again and Batman jumped, narrowly escaping as he went leaping into the air and off his perch as the plasma beam took out the building under him. Using his batarang, he flew through the air, finally coming to a halt on the soft ground and immediately moving towards where Diana, Flash, and Green Lantern were.

The cannon continued to fire, hitting the building where the International Peace Summit was being held and Clark immediately hung up his cell phone, cutting off Lois and watching as the people gathered raced out of the building and into the streets. He moved quickly, stripping off his suit and glasses, and flying out. He and J'onn flew up to where Hawkgirl was moving through the sky, dodging cannon fire, and Hawkgirl yelled, "I'll draw their fire."

"We'll take out the rear stabilizers!" Superman barked as he and J'onn took off towards the back of the ship. Hawkgirl tried to yell out a warning, telling them to wait, but to no avail. The two heroes were already being electrocuted by the force field surrounding the ship. As they fell, Hawkgirl rushed over and grabbed each of them by the cape before they fell into the reflecting pools that lined the National Mall. She brought them to where the others were waiting, Batman arriving on the scene just as she let go of Superman and J'onn.

The ship continued on its trajectory, heading straight towards the White House on a collision course, when it was struck by a laser from above it. Smoking, it fell to the ground, crashing into the grass where it lay in smoldering ruin.

They looked up to see a shadow passing over them and filling the sky were a mother ship and hundreds of tiny cruisers. Littering the sky, the seven heroes looked up as they realized that a larger problem now loomed on the horizon.

Superman remarked, "Out of the frying pan and into the fire."

But Hawkgirl stepped forward as from beneath the mother ship there emerged a small ship, taking to the sky from a bright yellow hole at the bottom of the ship. It landed in front of them and she said, hope rising in her voice, "No, wait!" And each of them looked at her, realizing that she knew something, that she recognized this ship just as she had done the last. A platform opened from underneath the small ship and a hazy smoke filled the air. But soon a winged figure materialized and as he strode forward, a smile lit Hawkgirl's face and amazement filled the others as something they had never expected was now occurring. The Thanagarians had arrived on Earth.

**_Next chapter: Maneater – The Justice League tries to convince the leaders of the world to trust the Thanagarians and the men engage in a little "boy talk"…_**

_To my new and old reviewers – Thanks! You all are the best!_

_**To reviewer SarahC** concerning Nice & Cozy – I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to realistically pull off Dick/Donna, but I'm willing to give it the college try for now. I just really like the possibilities that it opens up for me. Still, I don't plan on using them very much. Every pairing other than BMWW is pretty much a minor pairing for me. I have one obsession and one obsession only. Hehe. Thanks for the apology! I am trying to keep true to the couple and what we all love about them and not veer off course or off plot. We'll see how that goes. Anyway, thanks and I hope that you're enjoying this story as well!_

_**To reviewer T** – Never apologize for reviewing. I appreciate that people take the time out to read my story and let me know what they're thinking and I always promise to try and write you back somehow. It seems to be a trend to introduce people to my stories and I'm grateful for the compliment that action is._

_I was actually an English major in college, dabbled in poetry and such, but mainly I liked to write research papers. Sick, huh? I haven't done much with fiction, so that's why I'm still insecure and always a little nervous! The reviews help to boost my confidence. _

_Of course I love my paragraphing – you're right, it makes it easier to read. When it's all strung together, no one wants to read it. Not even me._

_I can't handwrite anymore – it starts hurting! And we all make typos – my brain tends to go faster than my hands and so usually I have a lot of typos, particularly in emails and such._

_Definitely a hardcore BMWW fan – I remember falling in love during "This Little Piggy" and it always irritated me that the show just left that relationship hanging._

_I like the third person perspective because it allows me to play around a little bit if I want to. It will take a little getting used to though. I couldn't just jump into Starcrossed – I really enjoyed Nice & Cozy because it didn't focus on the episode and I simply wasn't ready to get back into that episode-centric fiction just yet. Guess I have to now. Plus, I'm not ready for all the drama and angst that will come with this episode!_

_I appreciate the comment that you think I'm the top BMWW writer, but I think that I would certainly list quite a few people above myself. Maybe you're not reading the right people just yet. Try Ugly Girl and tell me what you think then. She does an amazing job._

_As for keeping the characters in, well, character, I'm trying and if I'm succeeding, it's only because I'm totally obsessive. Hehe._


	3. Maneater

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_During the episode Starcrossed, the Thanagarians, Hawkgirl's people, arrive on Earth in order to secure it from the Gordanians, the Thanagarian's mortal enemies. But things are not always as they seem and things are changing for everyone in the League, including past decisions, alliances, friendships, even relationships._

_Thanks to my wonderful beta, Lavender Gaia. I really appreciate you doing this through the pain and I hope it gets better soon!_

**Chapter 3, Maneater, by Hall & Oates**

"_She's a maneater/I wouldn't if I were you/I know what she can do/She's deadly, man, and she could really rip your world apart/Mind over matter"_

A large crowd had gathered on the lawn just behind the White House in Washington, D.C. People were gawking, staring at the foreign sight of the alien craft parked on the National Mall and the murmurs and whispers were growing in intensity as, from beneath the craft, a large portal emerged and, striding down the plank toward the ground, came a winged figure. He was surrounded by fog and haze, making him appear as though he were nothing but a shadowy figure with wings. Within seconds, the smoke cleared and the whispers began to rise in earnest as the gathered crowd realized that the figure both a striking resemblance to someone the world had come to know quite well in the past five years: Hawkgirl.

The members of the Justice League stood in shock and surprise, none of them knowing how to explain or rationalize what they were seeing. Hawkgirl had told them that she had been lost for the past five years, that she had ended up far from her home planet of Thanagar and was unable to return, not even knowing where to begin to search for her homeland. And suddenly, her homeland was showing up here, in spades – small ships littered the skies and in front of them stood a figure proud and tall with a military bearing who had obviously come with a purpose in mind.

As the fog lifted, more of the winged figures began to emerge from the small craft, helmets identical to Hawkgirl's and their outfits oddly similar as they flanked the first man. It was appearing less and less like this was a coincidence that the figures simply resembled Shayera Hol. And now each of the members of the League was beginning to wonder if Shayera had found her home at last, here in the midst of battle, blood, and alien aircraft.

Flash eyes grew wide as he stared at the figures illuminated by the light from the craft behind them, their expressions grim and serious as they stood waiting for something or someone.

"You know these guys?" Flash asked Shayera and her face lit up with a joy that was rare for her to allow the others Leaguers to witness. She immediately said, "Yes," and took to the air for a few meters, landing just in front of the winged figures on the gangplank to their ship. Staring up at the man who had been first to come forward from the ship, she said calmly and decisively, "Welcome to Earth, Commander."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," the man answered in a deep, rich voice, his serious tone precluding any joyful reunion between the two.

Green Lantern strode forward to the base of the gangplank, anger emanating from every pore as he demanded, "Care to tell us exactly what's going on here?"

Hawkgirl turned back to the group of six gathered, the League members that had become her family, friends, and even a lover, as she said with quiet pride, "This is Commander Hro Talak of Thanagar." A smile small graced her face and the other members looked at each other in surprise – she looked so content, so at ease surrounded by her countrymen.

There was little time for thoughts or idle discussion though as Hro immediately stated, "Save the introductions for later. I must meet with your world leaders. The fate of this planet hangs in the balance." His serious tone booked no argument and the other Leaguers looked at each other, the inner hero in each coming to the forefront as they put away their questions and surprise and turned to the matter before them, hoping to abate their confusion and their concerns.

-V-

The International Peace Summit attendees were immediately herded back into the building they had been in before the Gordanian and Thanagarian forces had arrived with their plasma cannons and lasers. Taking their seats, the world leaders looked around with questions in their eyes as they looked down to the man in the center of the gathering, the man known as Commander Hro Talak.

"Friends," he addressed them, deep voice resonating throughout the space, "we are here on a mission of great urgency. Five years ago, we secretly sent an advance agent to Earth to learn more about your people and to study your defenses. That agent was Lieutenant Shayera Hol, better known to you as Hawkgirl."

Studying on a balcony far above the assembly, the remaining members of the Justice League could hear the murmurs and accusations fly as Talak delivered this bit of information. For themselves, each member began to realize that one amongst their midst for so long had been a spy, infiltrating them in order to discover them.

J'onn J'onnz began to realize that the Hawkgirl they had known for so long was now almost a mystery to them. She was no longer an orphan, no longer searching for Thanagar. In fact, she never had been. She had been there on a mission and somehow, she had managed to keep that information a secret from them, all of them, for years. He saddened, realizing that she had truly been alone for five years, away from home and family. He understood what that meant, how difficult that endeavor had been for her for so long.

Walking out of the assembly without looking at the others, Batman walked into a nearby corridor, leaning against the wall and thinking about all that they had learned here. He was growing somewhat suspicious of these Thanagarians. Thus far, only one Gordanian ship had landed on Earth – why were they so positive that the fleet would land here? And for what purpose? Surely there were other worlds much closer that they could conquer, rather than Earth. There was something about this entire situation that he didn't like, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Why had the Thanagarians so long ago sent a spy to Earth to study them? What knowledge had they possessed for so long that had caused them to seek out a spy and send her to Earth?

He did know that this revelation about Hawkgirl would damage the team. She and Green Lantern had initiated a relationship and it was sure to dissolve under these circumstances, falling prey to the lies and the feeling of betrayal that John was sure to be experiencing.

How would this affect the rest of them though? Would the team also fall under the weight of Hawkgirl's exposure as a spy? It was difficult to believe that she had been a devoted member of the team for so long and that no one had discovered that she had a secret purpose in being on Earth. He had been forced to take her story at face value, having no way of proving or disproving the existence of Thanagar and her inability to return to her homeland.

But it bothered him intensely that they were so vulnerable to deceit, especially from the inside. And there had to be something that he could do in order to prove or disprove this version of Hawkgirl's story.

He refused to consider the obvious question that was trying to force its way into his mind – how would the collapse of Hawkgirl and Green Lantern's relationship affect his own with Diana?

-V-

Addressing a counsel of leaders, Superman and Wonder Woman were trying to convince the leaders that the possibility of a Gordanian attack existed, that the Thanagarian armada was here to protect and aid Earth in defeating the Gordanians.

Superman was still trying to process the fact that his friend and comrade in arms had been lying to them for so long, regardless of the circumstances. And now the League was being played for fools in front of the world. Even they had not known of Hawkgirl's true purpose in coming to Earth. Something about the timing irked him, but he also knew that now was not the time for in-depth analysis.

General Wells, however, seemed intent on analyzing the situation he now found himself and his country in. "How can we trust the Thanagarians?" he questioned the two heroes angrily. "We don't know anything about them!"

"We know that they came here and risked their own lives to help us," Diana told him calmly.

Diana simply accepted that Hawkgirl's true purpose on Earth was somewhat different than what she had led them all to believe. Her trust in her friend, her sister, was absolute and she knew that Hawkgirl had done what she needed to do in order to complete her mission. Still, it was a bit of a shock, realizing that she had been put on Earth on purpose, placed there in order to spy on them. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and it did truly seem as if this Gordanian fleet was a horror that the world was unprepared for. They would need all the help that they could get and the Thanagarians could help with that.

"Like angels from Heaven?" the General scoffed. "Sorry, Princess, but I'm not buying it."

Diana turned to him and with an almost pleading tone, replied, "But if Earth really is in danger, we can hardly afford to turn away help."

Deep in the background, watching Diana and Superman, Flash and Green Lantern were talking quietly amongst themselves. It took the scarlet speedster some time in order to understand that Hawkgirl, a woman who had been as much as sister to him as anyone, had been a spy in their midst for so long. But he smiled at the thought, at the idea of her being a spy. It was very cool.

Green Lantern, on the other hand, was still trying to deal with her betrayal, with the fact that she had misled him for weeks now as their relationship had progressed and deepened. Just hours earlier they had been planning to meet up for Chinese and now she was surrounded by her fellow Thanagarians telling the world that she had been a spy for five years, that Earth was in great danger. He couldn't even listen to Talak or bear to look at Shayera; it simply hurt too much, the pain too great for anger, too much for simple acceptance.

After growing tired of listening to Flash's inane comments, he walked out and into the nearby corridor. Alone, he sighed, shoulders slumping and his expression of calm dropping into one of deep sorrow as he struggled to come to terms with Hawkgirl's betrayal.

"The most mysterious creatures in the universe." John Stewart turned, realizing that he was not so alone in the hallway. Pushing off of the wall he had been leaning against, Batman walked over to where John Stewart stood, his typical military bearing lost as he tried to come to terms with what all they now knew about Hawkgirl, about Shayera Hol of Thanagar.

"Sorry?" John asked, his expression one of confusion as he replayed Batman's words.

"Women," the Dark Knight answered. "Don't be too hard on yourself. You didn't know that she was spoken for." But Batman made a mental note to himself to check and ensure that no one was waiting at home on Themyscira for Diana. It never hurt to double check, especially when a fellow man fell to the confines and agony of love and loss.

"How did you…?"

"It wasn't hard to figure out," Batman told his friend. Particularly if you yourself were involved and could see the signs in others, he thought. His relationship with Diana had gave him open eyes to the emotions that ran through others and not just the facts. He had figured out, probably before even Hawkgirl and John did, that the two had growing feelings for one another. Without Diana, he still would have figured that out, just not as quickly. But a new perspective on love often led one to seeing it in others as well.

And he could hardly chastise John for embarking on a relationship with a teammate if he himself had done the same, even if John was unaware of that fact. That had been one of his original reasons for not pursuing Diana: that she was a needed teammate, and it still worried him from time to time, no matter how smoothly their relationship was progressing.

"The point is," he told John, "these things happen. You just have to deal with it." After all, he himself had dealt so admirably with his feelings for Diana, rejecting and pushing her aside until finally coming to terms with the fact that work and romance could exist alongside one another. That, however, was not the point of this discussion. He just wanted to inject John's spine with a little pragmatism, a little steel that would help him to realize what he wanted from his relationship with Hawkgirl. Either he would forgive her being a spy or he would shun her. It was that simple, that black and white.

"Thanks," John said in a sarcastic tone, "I'll keep that in mind." And with those words, he turned away only to find himself face to face with a serious and concerned J'onn J'onnz.

"Believe me," J'onn said, placing his hand on John's shoulder, "I know how painful it can be when two people who are so involved…"

Flash dashed up in a red blur, coming in on the tail end of J'onn's words and immediately questioning them. "Who's involved?" He pointed to John, stuttering, "Wait, you and…Hawkgirl?"

With a looked of stunned amazement, he exclaimed, "Get out!" Then, as no one stepped forward to deny his idea, his face fell, "Really?"

"Imagine how hard this situation must be for her," J'onn stated quietly, his expression concerned but stoic as usual. "She's been here, alone, on a strange planet, far from home. Who knows what she must have gone through?"

Flash continued to look sorrowful, particularly once J'onn's words pierced him, as he realized that Shayera being a spy was not a fascinating, exciting career, but a lonely existence. Batman simply stood there, stone faced, and John's face grew in irritation at the attention that was being bestowed upon him, thanks to his mess of a relationship.

"Maybe you should have read her mind," he angrily suggested to J'onn.

"Actually, it's strange, but I never could," J'onn murmured softly. "In fact, I can't read any of their minds."

And at those words, a chill raced down Batman's spine as he realized that perhaps his suspicions weren't so unfounded after all. But he would need to check it out…

**_Next chapter: Matter of Trust – Batman discusses his suspicions about the Thanagarians with Diana…_**

_Please remember to **review**! I really need all of your support and I love hearing what you have to say! I'm going to have to guess and say that this story is going to end up being about 20 chapters long, so I'm hoping for say, 8 **review**s a chapter? 160!!! **Help me out! I'll beg if I have to!**_

_To reviewer T – You're right, you're seeing me again at the end of this chapter! I definitely do appreciate people's reviews – I just love hearing what people say. Sadly enough, nothing gets me more excited than opening up my email and seeing it filled with reviews. Makes me feel loved!_

_Nothing I like hearing more than that I have talent and that you're passing my stories on to other people._

_You almost have to do loads of paragraph or it's hard on the eyes to follow it. When people don't paragraph, I personally won't read it._

_I love typing! How can you hate it? I love hand writing things sometimes, but after enough time, my hand writing derides to the point where even I can't read it. And you barely have to type to get a fanfiction account!_

_This Little Piggy was it for me – I just wanted to scream at the tv for them to just get together and get it over with! I think I screamed at my husband instead of Cartoon Network though. He's pretty used to that at this point. Hehe._

_One of the best compliments is when people tell me that they can picture the episodes through my words. I try my best!_

_Ugly Girl is awesome, truly. She goes by the name Meljean Brooks on fanfiction as well. So great. Everyone should check out her stuff. I seriously doubt that I'm the top writer, but I do like hearing it. If you go to my favorites section on my homepage, you'll see a huge list of mostly BMWW fiction stories and they're just great. So many good authors – Icha, DWParsnip, the list goes on and on…_

_Don't worry, I've got the obsession thing nailed. Hehe. I'm good at it. Thanks for the review! As always, I really do appreciate it!_


	4. A Matter of Trust

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_Sorry everyone! This would have been up sooner, but the site wasn't allowing me to upload documents last night. GRRRR. Please remember to review!_

_During the episode Starcrossed, the Thanagarians, Hawkgirl's people, arrive on Earth in order to secure it from the Gordanians, the Thanagarian's mortal enemies. But things are not always as they seem and things are changing for everyone in the League, including past decisions, alliances, friendships, even relationships._

**Chapter 4 Matter of Trust, by Billy Joel**

"_But you're going to face a moment of truth/It's hard when you're always afraid/You just recover when another belief is betrayed/So break my heart of you must/it's a matter of trust"_

It had been two days since J'onn's had revealed that he was unable to read the minds of either Hawkgirl or any of the Thanagarians when finally, an idea came to Batman's mind as to how to proceed, as to what clues lay about to decipher the truth behind the Thanagarians. He still didn't believe that their intentions on Earth simply derived from the good of their hearts and he meant to prove it, regardless of what that entailed.

Even after patrolling, he had been unable to sleep, unable to get his mind to rest as it grappled with the arrival of the Thanagarians. He had slept only in snatches, but he had managed to come up with an idea to determine the truth behind his suspicions.

And so, Batman returned to the wreckage of the Gordanian ship still littering the lawn outside the White House in D.C. Entering the craft through the laser induced opening created by the Thanagarian army, he wandered through the corridors, finally coming to what appeared to be the front of the craft, the area where the pilots had been when the ship had gone done.

He found one of them still intact, sitting upright in the pilot's chair, eyes open wide with shock and his scaly looking green skin already cool to the touch. Bending down and hefting the Gordanian, he was surprised at the girth of the alien, the utter weight that strained his muscles and made each step more difficult. Finally admitting to himself that this might be a job best passed on to someone else, he placed the Gordanian on the floor and used his COM link to call the only person he felt that he could trust with this current mission, that could keep secret his suspicions and his concerns from the other teammates. He called Diana.

She answered quickly and he could hear voices murmuring in the background as she stated, "Batman?"

"Diana. You're needed here. Tell no one." He knew that she had been in the Gobi Desert, helping the Thanagarians to build their force field that was supposed to protect Earth, that all of the other Leaguers were there helping to complete the construction.

"What's going on?" she questioned quietly.

"Now," he boldly declared and hung up the connection, knowing that she would make her excuses and be on her way to D.C. within seconds. She may not have understood what he wanted or the need for the secrecy, but she knew him, and she would come. He looked down at the Gordanian at his feet, at the webbed toes and oddly shaped face and wondered why Gotham suddenly seemed so tame, so peaceful compared to the international warfare that the planets of Thanagar and Gordania had been embroiled in for years, killing thousands as each was intent on winning the war, on taking out the enemy and destroying them forever.

He himself had been waging a kind of war on Gotham City for years, intent on securing the streets and making it safe, but even he couldn't understand what led two planets to want to eradicate the other completely from the world, to leave families and homes decimated with the constant warfare and fighting.

And now, to learn that Thanagar had sent an advanced agent to Earth in the form of Shayera Hol, he agreed with J'onn – he couldn't understand what she had been going through for the past five years. Batman was his secret identity, Bruce Wayne the person behind the mask, but even he had people who knew his innermost secret and who could understand the tightrope that he walked between the two worlds.

Alfred had always been there, to see him begin his training as a young boy wanting revenge and needing to help his city, and finally, to see him emerge as the Batman, as the Dark Knight Protector of Gotham who worked in the darkness to save lives and to cleanse the streets of the city that had given him so much and at the same time, taken so much away from him.

There had been others – the Bat-clan, those who had fought alongside him to stem the crime in Gotham. Some of them had lived with him, had became a part of the family he had created in the wake of his lost family, and they had shared his secret and pieces of his life. How must it feel for Shayera not to tell anyone of her mission, of the truth of her background?

Even John.

It only made him more suspicious of her, of the Thanagarians. She claimed to love John but couldn't tell him the truth about her background, regardless of how close they had become. He could understand that, at least in part. He had loved and lost in the past because of his nightly activities, because of the mask that he donned. But still, it was the most important part of his life and he knew that it was something he couldn't hide from everyone.

Look at Diana. She had figured out the man behind the mask within seconds of meeting Bruce Wayne; realized that the same stoic figure who was the Batman was also the flirtatious playboy who had solicited her hand in a dance one memorable night in Paris.

And now, because of the feelings that were deepening between them, he had opened up all parts of his life to her – both as Batman and as Bruce. She still wasn't allowed to patrol in Gotham, but, for now, she understood his reasoning behind that and had accepted it. But he knew that in the future, she would begin to protest and he had a distinct feeling that even his stubborn will couldn't win that battle. She was a woman to be reckoned with and he appreciated that fact.

How could Shayera not have told anyone over the past five years? Not have told those closest to her that perhaps things weren't exactly what they had seemed? John was a military man; he would have understood her need for keeping her mission a secret, but she had transgressed too far, taking up with him in a romance when she was obviously committed to someone from home, no matter that she hadn't seen Talak in five years.

It concerned him deeply that Shayera knew so much about each of them. They had fought alongside one another for years now – she understood their strengths, their weaknesses, both as a group and individually. That kind of knowledge was a powerful and dangerous thing and they were ripe for exploitation, particularly from someone who they believed to be trustworthy. Hence, the reason he was currently on this ship and extracting one of the Gordanians so he could find something to slay his suspicions or allay them.

He heard a rustle in the wind and looked over to find Diana's eyes on his, her face alight with curiosity, her hair flowing in the wind. Walking closer, she asked, "What's going on here?"

"I'm taking him to the Watchtower," he told her. When she looked like she was about to ask more questions, he simply gave her a look that said he'd explained things later. He wasn't sure what kind of equipment was on this ship and he didn't want to be answering any questions without knowing into what ears the information could be flowing, whether Gordanian or even Thanagarian.

She bent down, hefting the dead Gordanian over her shoulder and gesturing for him to lead the way out of the ship, that she would follow him in this endeavor. But she gave him a hard look in return, and he knew that she wouldn't rest until she had some answers about what exactly he was planning to do, what he wanted to accomplish.

It was hell being involved with the one person in the world whom you couldn't intimidate, he thought to himself and still, the corner of his lips lifted in a small smile as he realized it was that particular quality that had drawn him to her from the very beginning.

Well, that and her legs.

He shook his head, pulling himself out of his reverie and back into the moment, back to the potential invasion of the Gordanians and the threat that the Thanagarians might pose as well.

Beckoning to Diana, they quickly made their way to the javelin in which she had arrived. She placed the Gordanian in the back, on the floor of the ship, and made her way to the co-pilot's seat since he had already taken the pilot's controls and was smoothly heading upwards and back to the Watchtower.

"Bruce," Diana said with a hint of aggression in her voice, "What exactly is going on here?" She looked over to him, but he refused to meet her eyes, concentrating on the landscape in front of them rather than the beauty at his side.

"I don't trust her," he said baldly. "I don't trust any of them."

"Why?" she asked quietly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ears. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that she was still looking at him, that she was saddened by his revelation but unsurprised.

"I can't. There are still too many questions, too many concerns." His jaw tightened and he continued to look ahead, rather than at the woman next to him asking the questions. He knew that she wanted to believe in her friend, or as she would call Shayera, her sister, and it was hard to be the one to disabuse her of the notion that although they had worked alongside for so long, that there simply couldn't be blind trust. It wasn't in his nature – there were too many things that made him uncomfortable, that concerned him about the Thanagarians and their arrival on Earth. Not to mention their spy.

The amount of knowledge that Shayera would have been able to gain in the years she had been here was staggering. She was acutely intelligent; if she applied her mind to it, she certainly could have learned enough to damn both the League and the Earth. And it was that thought that drove him now, that thought that had brought him here to convince himself that the Thanagarians weren't the enemy, but helpers.

Bullshit.

He simply couldn't believe it, couldn't wrap his mind around the coincidences and tell himself that this was all just good luck on their parts. He wasn't a man of luck. He was a detective, a man who lived and breathed in facts, and this was simply a fact-finding mission, not a paranoid need to always be the hero. In this matter, he would almost prefer to be wrong, to be just paranoid, but he knew that he wouldn't rest until he'd determined the truth, no matter what it told him.

Arriving at the Watchtower, Diana carried the body down to the medical room, depositing the Gordanian on a table in the middle of the room and looking around, found a sheet to place over him to cover his mid-section.

Batman simply walked in and reached for a scalpel, leaning over the body and making a long incision in the abdomen, ripping into the scaly green Gordanian skin in one long, smooth stroke of the knife.

"What exactly are you trying to prove here?" Diana asked, wondering if perhaps he would give her a clearer answer now that he was in the process of answering his questions. Although, she had the distinct feeling that he planned to ignore her to the exclusion of all else, she felt that she should ask the question anyway, that perhaps she would get a response to her query. Knowing Batman as she did, though, she knew that it was highly likely that he would simply refuse to answer and go about his own way. But she also knew that he trusted her as he did no one else in the League, that he had allowed her further into his life than she had ever dreamed possible. And so, she waited patiently for an answer.

"Think about it," Batman said, looking up at Diana's serene expression in her blue eyes. The patience he knew from experience would also last as long as he complied with her. Eventually, the kick ass side would emerge and she would pry answers from him in whatever way she determined was best, no matter how potentially painful. And he needed someone to listen to him, to help him disprove his suspicions and who better than Diana? "A single ship attacks a major city. Then, the Thanagarian armada coincidentally shows up to save us."

Diana looked at him, obviously irritated with his explanation. She still believed in Hawkgirl and a little piece of his heart hurt to possibly refute that notion. But the safety of the Earth and the League came before hurt feelings and blind trust, no matter what anyone else believed.

"I don't believe in coincidence," he said bluntly, looking up at her from his perch over the Gordanian's body as he removed a slice of organ, what appeared to be the liver, and placed it on a slide. He walked over to the microscope and peered down into the lenses, blinking at what was revealed before him.

"So how is this going to help? You don't know anything about Gordanian physiology," she retorted angrily. She was pleased that he had shared his concerns with her, but she didn't believe that there was any foundation to them. Still, she knew that it was simply part of his nature to question everything, to check and double check every question that entered his mind, no matter how paranoid or irritating it might seem to someone else. His determination had been something that had helped her to fall in love with him and as much as it irritated that he was questioning one of their team members, deep down she knew that this was simply part of his personality, part of what she respected about him. But what could he prove with this little autopsy experiment if he didn't know anything about the Gordanians?

"No," he said, still looking down into the microscope, "but I know a frozen liver when I see one."

Diana's head jerked over at him immediately. Her shock apparent, she blurted out, "What?"

"The crew of this ship was dead long before the Thanagarians shot them down." He looked up and in unison, they both turned their heads to look at the dead Gordanian laying open on the table. "I think we've been set up."

**_Next chapter: When It All Goes Wrong Again – Batman sneaks aboard the Thanagarian mothership and things go awry…_**

_I'll say it once again – please review! Your reviews keep me going, so please take a few minutes and let me know what you think! For those that did – thanks!_

_To reviewer **MJGS** – I will admit that in some respects, it is pretty much just a book of Starcrossed. I will, as you can see here and in the first chapter, add in additional sections that you didn't get to see in the episode itself, almost always focusing on Batman and Wonder Woman. Plus, it gives you my take on what they all (mostly) were thinking during this episode and some people really like that. Others, like yourself, don't seem to have taken to it. Just depends – people have told me before that they like it because it's almost like they can see the episode again – with a little BMWW extra, of course. So I hope that you continue to read it and that you like my "Starcrossed book" by the end! If not, that's fine too._

_To reviewer **T** – I do love receiving reviews! I'm surprised that you haven't noticed before – I usually put that somewhere in every chapter! But it's not in the body of the chapter itself, so it can be a little easy to miss._

_Hey, as long as you're passing the stories on, I'm happy. And as for the English talent, I enjoy both writing and reading and they tend to go somewhat in hand for me. Builds vocabulary, strengthens skills, and plus, I didn't get that degree for nothing. Hehe._

_Oh, see, I took a typing class years ago and that helped me so much with my typing. I don't even have to look at the keyboard anymore. Makes things SOOO much easier. I never got into the calligraphy thing – I think it's pretty, but I've never learned the art. See, I have picky, perfect handwriting because my mom was a teacher and I can't continue to do it if I'm writing fast. You should see my Starcrossed notes. Yuck!_

_No, my husband probably did not appreciate it when I yelled at him about why Cartoon Network didn't put BMWW together. But, I do that with almost ever show that I watch – I hate some pairings and I want some together. He's used to it. Plus, I have to listen to him about football, so we're even._

_I'm glad that you liked this chapter! I'm really just not sure that I could do this story in less than 20 chapters, though it still just seems like a lot. But then, it's a long episode and I will be taking out some scenes and putting others in instead._

_I really appreciate you saying that I'm the best BMWW writer, but I still have to disagree. You can continue to say it, it makes me feel good, but there are so many great stories out there and everyone has their own little ideas and takes on the romance. Plus, I'm just going off of the episodes – so many people make entire plots of their own. _

_Thanks, as always!_

_To reviewer **Lauren** – Thanks! I'm glad that you like the stories! I, too, wish that the series was still going. Maybe then they would be some hope that BMWW would actually get together, that the writers wouldn't just tease us with the possibility. Jerks. I promise to continue writing them and hopefully it will all end up with the end that you're hoping for!_


	5. When It All Goes Wrong Again

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_During the episode Starcrossed, the Thanagarians, Hawkgirl's people, arrive on Earth in order to secure it from the Gordanians, the Thanagarian's mortal enemies. But things are not always as they seem and things are changing for everyone in the League, including past decisions, alliances, friendships, even relationships._

**Chapter 5, When It All Goes Wrong Again, by Everclear**

"_Where are you gonna be/When it all comes down…When it all goes wrong again"_

"Set up?" Diana whispered, her voice coated in shock as she repeated his words. "How could she?" She began to pace around the medical bay, fists clenched in anger and he could practically see the waves of anger and grief that poured off of her as she realized that their friend, their teammate had betrayed them, that something was amiss in this situation and it began with Shayera, with Hawkgirl.

Her black hair swung side to side in quick little movements, almost as if it too were angry, were alive with the emotions that had entered her the minute that Bruce had realized that there was indeed something to be suspicious over. She had been so willing to believe her sister, her friend, that she hadn't wanted to look in to the Thanagarians methods, hadn't wanted to believe that Bruce could mistrust Shayera.

And now that trust had proven misguided on her part.

"How could she?" she turned to Bruce, screaming the words.

"Don't leap to conclusions, Princess," he stated, eyes returning again to the microscope, as if he weren't surreptitiously watching her every movement out of the corner of his eye.

"She set us up! You admitted it yourself," she said quietly, the anger in her tone causing her voice to throb with passion and pent-up rage as she wondered at his words, at how he could act so calm in the face of this betrayal, of this show of disloyalty from someone they had considered one of their own, had loved as a friend and colleague. To some of them as more.

"They set us up," Batman said in a calm tone, a direct contrast to Diana's fury because of what she perceived as a betrayal. He, however, knew that things were not always as simple as they seemed. All that he had done was confirm that the Thanagarians had not arrived on Earth with a purpose as simple as helping to shield the world from the Gordanians, to save Earth and all its inhabitants. Instead, he now knew that something sinister was going on, but there was no conclusive proof as of yet as to Shayera's betrayal, other than her acting as a spy for all these years. He still believed that she could no longer be trusted, though he wasn't sure what part she was playing in this setup – whether innocent bystander or total and outright traitor.

He only knew that something was indeed wrong and that the Thanagarians were at the heart of it.

"They set us up and we need to determine why," he told Diana, walking over to her and putting his arms around her waist. She was still taunt with anger, her body humming and pulsing, but she leaned into his touch, resting her head on his shoulder. For once, he was heedless of the cameras, knowing that if anyone saw them, they would simply think that he was comforting her about Shayera. And it was the truth, only once again there lay more beneath the surface that others might not see. Some of the other members of the League weren't the most perceptive in determining relationship status – hence, Flash's surprise at John and Shayera's relationship.

Without lifting her head, entirely too comfortable where she currently stood, she asked, "And just how do you plan to do that?"

"I always have a plan," he whispered into her hair.

"Of course you do," she murmured, her lips lifting in a small smile, the first since she'd set foot on the Watchtower with the Gordanian in tow. He was, after all, still the Dark Knight. No matter what crisis they faced, he was their General, the leader who had several contingency plans in case things fell through, as they so often did.

Pulling back from his embrace, immediately saddened at the loss of his heat and comfort, she looked at him with a question in her eyes before finally voicing it, "What are you going to do?"

"Play make believe," he said softly and at that answer, she looked up at him in confusion. "Make believe?"

"Pretend, Princess. A sleight of hand to make the Thanagarians believe what they see and not what is," he murmured, already lost in the confines of his mind as ideas swirled and began to fully take shape. It was simply a matter of applying another magic trick in his repertoire, of acting the part and playing it out right under the Thanagarian noses. Child's play, pure and simple.

A light dawned in her eyes and she smiled slowly and deviously. "I see what you mean."

"I need to go back to the Bat-cave," he said softly, "Everything I need is there." But he stood for a moment, looking down at her and she couldn't resist leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder for another moment. He wrapped his arm around her waist again before he even realized he'd done it and just for a second, pressed his chin to her hair, rubbing it over the ebony softness. "Be careful," she whispered before moving away, giving him a slow sweet smile that reminded him of long, lusty nights gone by and memories still to be made. And so, he let one corner of his mouth curve before he strode out of the medical bay, leaving Diana praying to her gods for a moment before she too, left the room.

Batman stood behind a group of delegates as they departed onto the Thanagarian mothership, descending the gangplank escorted by Lieutenant Kragger, a man he had already discerned from his words was arrogant and power hungry, a true asshole in every sense of the word. He could tell that the Lieutenant was trying to act pleasant, but his overall attitude came off as condescending and pompous, grating on Batman's nerve as he slouched a little, attempting to blend with the other delegates.

He had amply prepared for this mission – his hair was a wig of white atop a mask of wrinkles, a tiny black mustache, and dark, thick glasses that portrayed his age as elderly, made him appear weak and ineffectual rather than the powerhouse of strength that lurked beneath his skin. His bowtie and tux fit in with the formality of the occasion and as he listened idly to Lieutenant Kragger's words, he glanced around, trying to decide how best to enact a spying mission of his own.

"It's easy to get lost, so please stay together," the Hawk soldier said in what Batman assumed was supposed to be a friendly voice, one of camaraderie. "I believe we'll start with the bridge and move on to our fully equipped medical facilities."

As the group moved forward, Batman quietly snuck over to a side corridor, one of many lining the area around the landing dock. He continued down the hallway, feet making no sound as he snuck through the area, hoping that his mission wouldn't be in vain. He was stalled for a moment, debating where to go when a Hawk solider emerged from a side corridor in front of him and immediately turned right. His back to Batman, the Dark Knight followed swiftly and smoothly.

Approaching a door, the soldier spoke before entering a pass coded door to Sector 17, as it was announced. Just before the door to the area slid shut, Batman darted forward, squeaking in just as the door closed behind him. He hugged the wall, clinging to the shadows as he looked around, realizing that he was in some sort of command area, the nerve center for communications.

Talak's voice rang clearly throughout the room, "Talak to com-center. Link me to the High Counsel." His picture emerged on one of the two screens that dominated one of the walls of the communications area, as one of the Hawk minions said, "Right away, sir."

Beside his picture, there appeared another, this one of about a dozen Hawk elders, holding different weapons, all of them seated and intently peering ahead of them. "Commander Talak," began the central figure, "What can you report?"

"We are on schedule, my lord. With the help of the humans, we should be operational in days," the Commander said, his voice ringing with satisfaction and promise.

"Not a moment too soon," spoke the same member of the High Counsel. "As you see, the Gordanians have launched a new counter offensive." The photo of the High Counsel changed and a 3D model of Thanagar and a fleet of Gordanians ships materialized, blinking red for the ships and the planet lined in green. "They've sealed off our expeditionary forces. Their entire fleet is pressing towards Thanagar."

At those words, Batman realized that his worst fears had indeed been confirmed. The Thanagarians weren't on Earth to help; there had some other reason for their presence and they were keeping that secret close to their vests for the time being. There was something going on here that had led the Thanagarians to deceive the Justice League and the head leaders of Earth, but they still had to determine what that was. Intent on doing just that, he took a small step backwards, towards the door then heard a voice ring out from behind him, "You there!"

A Hawk soldier approached, spear in hand. "How did you get in here?" the soldier demanded, voice angry and harsh.

"I'm sorry," Batman said in his elderly delegate disguise, his voice pitched slightly higher and speaking in a cadence faster than his usual deliberate delivery. He put an apologetic expression on his face, raising his hands in a gesture of confusion. "I seem to have gotten separated from my group."

"Don't move!" the Hawk soldier ordered. He pulled out a com-link and Batman pasted a shocked look on his face, as if he couldn't believe that this man didn't believe his story about getting lost, then sliding into irritability. Kragger's face appeared on the link and the soldier said quickly, "Lieutenant, I found one of your visitors in the com-center."

"Did he see anything?"

"I'm not sure."

"Then don't take any chances. Lock him up," the Lieutenant said decisively just seconds before the connection was severed.

"Come with me," the soldier insisted, reaching for Batman.

"No thanks," he answered, grabbing the hawk soldier's spear and hitting him in the face with it, knocking him backwards. He quickly took off, tossing a blinding bat-bomb over his shoulder and racing towards the nearest corridor. From behind him, he heard the soldier alert the others on the ship through his com-link that there was an intruder, namely himself. Hearing the footsteps behind him, he continued to move. Ahead of him, several Hawk soldiers emerged firing their weapons, narrowly missing him as he darted down a hall on the right. Pulling a bat-bomb from his pocket, he threw it behind him where it exploded almost instantly. He quickly ripped the mask off of his face, discarding the clothing to the floor and he could hear the crunch of the glasses as he stepped on the glass frames, moving forward to hide in the fog created by the bomb.

In his utility belt, he found his electrified brass knuckles and slipped them on, watching as one of the soldiers bent down to pick up the shattered glasses frame. Slipping from the fog, he punched the soldier square in the face before challenging the other two hawk soldiers in the corridor, knocking each of them to the ground before taking off again.

Initiating his own com-link, he could hear footsteps approaching behind him as he fought to get his message through to Diana, knowing that he could trust her to tell the others of what they'd learned, of what treachery was afoot with the Thanagarians.

"Diana, I was right," he stated rapidly, "The Gordanians are nowhere near Earth. The Thanagarians are…" He groaned in pain as he was broadsided from behind with an Nth metal axe hurled by one soldiers chasing him. Sliding to the floor, he could barely make out Diana's voice before he collapsed, succumbing to the blackness.

**_Next chapter: Hold The Line – Diana tries to save the Watchtower from the Thanagarian invasion…_**

_I'll say it once again – **please review**! Your reviews keep me going, so please take a few minutes and let me know what you think! For those that did – thanks! You all are awesome!_

_Nth metal is: a metal native to her Thanagar that has unique, if unspecified, properties_

_**Note to Everyone – **Because of the Thanksgiving holiday here on Thursday, I'm not sure how much I'll be updating this week – so don't expect the usual daily chapters, but I'll definitely try to get a few in! Plus, I'm hoping that everyone can catch up as well! Happy Thanksgiving!_

_To reviewer **SSJ04 Mewtwo** – I promise not to let my head inflate too much from the knowledge that I'm the first JL fic that you've reviewed! Well, maybe a little. Hehe. I really do appreciate it. It's fun to every once in awhile go roaming around other sections of Fan Fiction and see what other people are doing, especially when you find something you like! Glad you like the story so far and chapter 5 is obviously up with this! Thanks!_

_To reviewer **T** – It's true. I love receiving reviews and I'm glad that you've decided to come forward and let me know what you think!_

_It took a bit of practice to get used to typing without looking at the screen or my hands, but it was definitely a skill that came in handy in college! I still make typos and my brain still moves faster than my hands, but no one's perfect, right? My other problem is that I don't properly hold writing utensils, so it does hurt to write after awhile. My writing bump will start throbbing!_

_Yeah, we both yell at the TV or I'll tell him how irritated I am with some pairing or some scene, but I imagine that other people do that as well. It can be loud on occasion, especially during baseball season, but it makes life interesting. _

_I always found it interesting that Cartoon Network almost always paired Wonder Woman and Batman when they could – like in Starcrossed. They're together so many times during this episode for a lot of important parts – I'm surprised that they didn't have her rescue him! I do believe that he trusts her the most, even if just barely over Superman since they have such a history together._

_I'm not sure how to respond to the claim that I'm the top writer of BMWW but to say thanks!_

_I like working about the episodes because you can just delve deeper into them, into the psyche and what's going on behind the scenes that you saw on TV. That's one of the reasons I had such a great time writing the episode Hereafter – I could add so much in, amp up the drama, the tension, and the BMWW goodness! I think that might be my favorite story I've done so far…_


	6. Hold the Line

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_During the episode Starcrossed, the Thanagarians, Hawkgirl's people, arrive on Earth in order to secure it from the Gordanians, the Thanagarians' mortal enemies. But things are not always as they seem and things are changing for everyone in the League, including past decisions, alliances, friendships, even relationships. _

**Chapter 6, Hold the Line, by Toto **

_"Hold the line/love isn't always on time" _

After Batman had left, Diana had walked through the labyrinth of corridors in the Watchtower to the Monitor Womb, taking a seat in front of the enormous pane of glass and staring out into space, watching the Earth revolve and spin along with her thoughts.

It was moments like this when she wished she could be a normal, average everyday woman who didn't have to watch her man leave for battle. Didn't have to think about the what if's and the worries that went along with their particular choice of profession and could concentrate on their relationship. It would no longer be a secret, the necessity of that would no longer remain.

Still, she was now, in the wake of the recent events, particularly grateful that they had decided to stay the course of keeping their relationship a secret from their teammates. The fallout between John and Shayera was affecting the entire group and she didn't want their eyes focusing on her and Batman as well, wondering if she was secretly planning to invade the Earth with Amazons or if they would break things off as their relationship took its toll and its natural course.

The prying eyes, the unasked questions – she had been hoping to avoid these things from the start and it appeared that they'd successfully done so thus far. They were in love. And as much as she sometimes wanted to shout it from the rooftops, it was moments like this that she was content just to have it be the two of them, to sometimes just be able to be Bruce and Diana even if the others viewed them as Batman and Wonder Woman.

She had just, without even a kiss goodbye, sent her lover knowingly into danger. A piece of her was worried – the gravity of this situation seemed something that none of them was prepared for, especially since it involved Shayera in some way, shape, or form. She had betrayed them, no matter what the others thought. Shayera had spent years in their midst learning their secrets, befriending them, and now she was callously breaking hearts and tossing away everything that Earth had come to mean to her – the new home that she had created here after she'd left Thanagar.

Shayera had taken the trust that they'd all given her and warped it; Diana just wasn't sure that she could forgive her for that. She also didn't like being played for a fool – she had been willing to believe Shayera's tale about how she had arrived on Earth, willing to blindly believe that her friend would not have led them all, including the planet itself, into danger.

Now she didn't know what to believe.

Diana had toyed for a time with telling Shayera about her growing relationship with Batman, but had refrained, and now she was thankful she had done so, even if she wasn't entirely sure what had kept her from confiding in her friend.

She was more than angry with Shayera. A part of her was grieving at the loss of their friendship, at the lies that the woman she had called sister had fed them. Shayera had been the first woman that Diana had met and befriended here in Man's World. It saddened her to realize that same woman who had taught Diana that men were important was the same woman who was now teaching her about the faults of sisterhood. Sisterhood had always been an important part of Diana's life, the bonds between she and her fellow Amazons was integral to her culture and her lifestyle.

With Aresia, she had let her feelings for her sister dissuade her from realizing the truth about the woman, from understanding that Aresia had taken Amazon principles and stretched them for her own devious and wicked means. And now, again, she had let one of her sisters blind her from the truth.

It hurt to realize that she was so gullible, that she was so easy to dupe because of her faith in mankind. Or in this case, again, womankind. She wasn't sure that she would consider it a flaw in herself to be loyal, to be steadfast in friendship, but it seemed that she wasn't always able to see past the barriers and stereotypes that had been erected in her minds at birth.

It wasn't a flaw to be blind, but it was a flaw to not see someone's character as it truly was, rather than what she wanted it be. She had wanted Aresia to be her sister, to be the playmate that she had been for so long, to be the embodiment of the good that could come from Man's World. She had wanted Shayera to be a confidant, a fierce warrior in battle, and to represent the ideals of the Justice League – the truth and good they sought to fight for.

Because she'd been so blinded by what she'd believed to be true, by what each of these women had _pretended_ to be, she'd had to watch as Bruce left her, as he'd gone off into yet another battle, on yet another mission where he risked his life with every false step.

And then, as if she'd conjured it, his voice echoed through the com-link in her ear, "Diana, I was right. The Gordanians are nowhere near Earth."

She fought to hold in her reaction and to listen to the rest of his transmission quietly but the overwhelming tide of anger as the truth hit rushed into her ears and she barely heard his next words. "The Thanagarians are--" He groaned in pain and as silence echoed through his communicator, her heart dropped clean into her stomach, causing her to frantically and worriedly stumble over her words, "Batman, come in. Can you hear me?"

When nothing but silence dominated their line of communication, her worry grew and she fought desperately to rein it in, to keep calm and to do what she knew she had to do next, regardless of Bruce's current condition. She would have to worry about him later. There was no other choice.

"Superman," she stated, her voice eerily calm in the quiet of the Watchtower, "The Thanagarians are lying. Batman's been captured aboard their command ship." Her voice rose with urgency at every word as she tried to stem the panic and rage growing inside her.

Suddenly, she heard an enormous thud and the Watchtower shook as if besieged by tremors. Quickly looking out the windows, she could see Thanagarian ships everywhere, bombarding the air space around the Watchtower and shooting it with plasma beams and the other arsenal at their disposal.

"Great Hera! They're here at the Watchtower!"

Noticing something on the control panel, she strode over, a sense of forbidding feeling her as she stared at the machinery. "The landing bay is opening," she exclaimed, "They must have our access codes."

Ignoring the control panel and discontinuing communication, she raced towards the landing bay. As the door opened and she entered the room, a stream of lasers immediately assailed her. Crouching down, she used her bracelets to deflect the beams and jumped into the air, avoiding the streams of plasma and the other artillery.

A hawk soldier wielding an axe came after her in the air; she wrestled the axe from him with ease and pummeled him to the ground. Noting the amount of hawk soldiers in the room, she fought to remember that the Justice League had often survived despite poor odds. And these were poor indeed.

As another hawk soldier flew into the air, she met him halfway, axe versus axe. The two weapons pulsed and lit up with electricity as the metal clanged loudly. Two hits later, both of their axes went flying and Diana immediately kicked the soldier in the head, sending him flying through the room until he landed limp on the floor.

Looking around for the next soldier to take her on, she failed to notice that one of the female Hawk soldiers was taking aim with a plasma cannon. Seconds later, the weapon discharged and Diana moved quickly to block it with her bracelets. They failed in that endeavor though and electricity shot through her entire system, her body wracked with pain and suspended in the air. She groaned as sparks flew around her, and, her body pulsing, she collapsed into unconsciousness.

**_Next chapter: Kryptonite – Shayera tours the Thanagarians prison cells where they are holding the other members of the Justice League... _**

_I'll say it once again – **please review**! Your reviews keep me going, so please take a few minutes and let me know what you think! For those that did – thanks! You all are awesome! _

_To reviewer **T** - Hey, I definitely appreciate all the reviews. They make me so happy! It's nice to know what people think about you - good or bad._

_Hey, practice makes perfect with typing. And with life I suppose. You're right - if I couldn't type or write, I have no idea what I'd do. Live in a hole somewhere thinking of BMWW ideas and NOT writing them down. That would drive me crazy. See, I couldn't have gotten by without the computer in college. And now? Not sure I could live without it for very long. First thing I did after my vacation this summer was check my email. Hehe._

_Oh, no, my husband loves Justice League as well, he just doesn't have the same obsession that I do. We watched Kids Stuff and This Little Piggy last night at his request. I was happy to oblige! He just smiles at nods at my obsessive fan moments mostly. But he did ask me how I planned to write those episodes, so he does listen! And as for baseball, you'd be surprised. I'm a huge baseball fan - we actually got engaged at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs because it had always been a dream of mine to get engaged at a baseball game. He's an obsessive baseball fan and so it's fostered my need to love baseball even more._

_I guess I don't really yell when my pairing doesn't get on, but if things don't work out during a show the way that I want them to - if the pairing I want is actively involved with other people. Irks me. And my husband yells during baseball like you wouldn't believe. The year that the Red Sox were in the World Series, I barely slept because he was up all night yelling!_

_See? Bats and Wondy are always together. It's like fate. hehe. Or my vivid imagination. But there are always together. Wild Cards is my absolute favorite episode, but I also like pretty much your entire list. I actually am not much of a fan of the episode Hereafter, but enjoyed writing a story around it. Good enough I guess._

_I'll humbly accept your opinion. Hehe._

_I love working within the episodes and adding things to make them mine, but I really loved during Nice and Cozy so that I could do whatever I wanted with the characters and not have to rely on what happens in the episode. Glad you like the behind the scenes stuff! Thanks for the review and hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving as well!_

_To reviewer **Lauren - **I did need a few days of holiday! It's nice to see my in-laws and not have to wake up and go to work in the mornings. And it has given me several new ideas...I do intend to have some romantic scenes between BMWW, but probably not til later. There's just no room in the plotline for awhile. Thanks for the review!_

_To reviewer **SSJ04 Mewtwo**_ **- **_Well, Chapter 6 is up, hope you liked it! Imagine that a lot of people are updating over this holiday, but unfortunately, I'm not in that boat. So you won't have too much catching up to do with my story! Thanks for the review!_


	7. Kryptonite

Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. 

During the episode Starcrossed, the Thanagarians, Hawkgirl's people, arrive on Earth in order to secure it from the Gordanians, the Thanagarians' mortal enemies. But things are not always as they seem and things are changing for everyone in the League, including past decisions, alliances, friendships, even relationships.

_Well, I finally had to convert this thing into a text document rather than Word so I could upload it. ARGH! So, I hope you enjoy because it was a bit of a pain!_

**Chapter 7, Kryptonite, by 3 Doors Down**

_"If I go crazy then will you still call me Superman/If I'm alive and well, will you be there a-holding my hand/I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might/Kryptonite"_

She awoke to a feeling of utter despair, of realizing that their friend had let the soldiers from her homeland storm the Watchtower and take it as their own. She couldn't believe that she had been so wrong, that she had blindly believed that sisterhood meant more than patriotism. Diana only wished she knew what the Thanagarians were planning; what they meant to achieve during their time here on Earth.

All that she knew for sure was that she was a prisoner, that she was helpless in the face of the enemy and that she couldn't do anything to free herself and her friends. She was aware that the others were in the other cells around them, that they were being closely guarded and that each of them was bound in a way that prevented their escape or else they'd already be free. Apparently Shayera had not only handed over the codes to the Watchtower, but the keys to their strengths and weaknesses. She had lived among them for so long, it would have been easy enough for her to decipher, particularly when she fought alongside them as well.

Diana tried to put herself in John's shoes, to consider how he must be feeling right now, betrayed by the woman that he loved and forced into captivity because of a woman he had trusted, a woman who had seemingly easily thrown him over and shaken off her supposed feelings for him in her quest to help her fellow Thanagarians.

Her heart hurt, for him and for herself. For her teammates that were all now suffering at the hands of the woman they'd known as Shayera, as Hawkgirl.

But soon, rage began to bubble in her heart, began to rise and replace the sadness that had lurked there. She was still upset, but those feelings were relegated to the depths of her soul as ire started to course through her blood, to race through her system, burning her eyes and clenching her fists.

Diana bowed her head, allowing the angry fever to burn through her body. She was glad that the sadness was gone, that she was able to feel something other than hurt, other than despondency as she contemplated the newfound circumstances of the Justice League. How could they all have been so blind? So easily able to trust the traitor in their midst? They had been ripe for the picking in the end, cast off from their positions as world heroes and transformed into helpless prisoners.

And she burned with that knowledge, fire blazing a trail up her spine as she heard footsteps entering the room where the Justice League was currently being held prisoner.

Shayera.

She walked into the room with the wall of cells with Lieutenant Kragger just behind her, his heavy footfalls echoing her own as she toured the prison facilities. The walls were fitted with cells that were shielded by an electrifying force field, each designed to hold the prisoner inside of them. As she slowly walked forward, her heart in her throat, she came first upon what most of the world considered the strongest man in the universe, now reduced to a weakened state by the red light bombarding his cell. As soon as he saw her, he stood, rushing forward, yelling "Traitor!" He yanked at the chains that bound his wrists, desperately trying to free himself, but in his weakened condition, even that effort cost him his strength almost immediately. He groaned, grunting to free himself before finally collapsing, sinking to his knees and closing his eyes in pain and weariness.

Kragger continued to walk, but Shayera paused for a moment, looking at her friend, her former friend she knew now, and wondering how things had changed so completely in only a matter of days, moments it felt like to her. She had loved all of them, they'd been her friends and family and she knew that they would see this as a betrayal. The only thing keeping her standing was the thought that she was doing this for the right reasons, that once they had protected Earth, she would be able to leave it behind and return to Thanagar. Once, that thought would have caused her the greatest of joys, but now, she knew that a part of her heart would remain on Earth, with her friends, her new family, and with the man she had come to call love, John Stewart, the Green Lantern of Earth.

Her throat closed, parched and dried with emotions rushing up to clog it, to stem the words that she wanted to say. She wanted to tell each and everyone one of them that she was sorry, but she knew that none of them would accept it. She had taken advantage of them and Shayera Hol knew that the times where they would have called her friend had passed.

She and J'onn had once joked that they were the "Just Us League" and she knew now that she was "Just Me," left out in the dust since she had revealed their secrets, taken them prisoner, and hurt each and every one of them. Thinking back to what she had done to John, both physically and emotionally, she wanted to cry, but instead, she stuck out her chin and continued her tour of the prison, not wanting to show weakness in front of Kragger or any of the others. She wasn't alone in this, but sometimes it felt that way.

Perhaps things would change once she was back in Thanagar, back home, Earth a distant memory and thought. Her heart hurt at the thought, but she ignored it and walked forward to step alongside Kragger.

The next cell held the alien that had taken her under his protective wing and tried to help her understand that she had lost one home, but that another home could be made out of where she had ended up. He, of course, hadn't realized at the time that she hadn't lost Thanagar, but that there had been stronger motivations that had led her to Earth, motivations that she hadn't been able to discuss with any of the other Leaguers, as much as that had so often plagued her.

"Look at them," Kragger said to her in passing, "Weak…"

J'onn was in his true Martian form, his hands bound in shackles and another electrical force field around his body to keep him from shape shifting and enacting an escape. She looked at the sight sadly, disheartened to see her friend in such a state. He had tried to help her so often and look how she was repaying him, repaying all of them, by imprisoning them as if they were less than human, little more than animals.

"Useless…"

She looked over to see Flash, the boy that she had treated and loved as a kid brother lying on the floor of his cell, barely able to move as the anti-gravity podium glowing beneath him prevented him from being able to use his speed, from tapping into the Speed Force. Kragger was right – he was useless in this state and now, the boy who had cracked jokes and always lightened the room with his optimism and fun-loving spirit was groaning in pain on the floor, his usually smiling face poised on the brink of pain and a desperate kind of agony.

"Broken."

Shayera turned to see the Dark Knight, Batman, on his knees, hands bound behind a pole and shackled, unable to perform his usual feats of escapism from this position. She had warned her countrymen that he was a master of defeating any bonds that held him and escaping almost any prison they could erect around him. He didn't look up, didn't make any movement or action to acknowledge that he knew that she was standing in front of him.

For his part, he wasn't sure that he could stomach looking at her. Shayera Hol was proof positive that he had failed, that he hadn't been vigilant enough in guarding the other members of the League, or preventing exactly this type of situation from occurring. He had always had protective measures in place in case of a dire emergency – such as the bit of Kryptonite that he kept in his utility belt in case of a rogue Superman. He always had a contingency plan, an idea for when things went wrong and someone needed to step in and be the backbone of the League, doing what needed to be done regardless of the hardship or heartache it took to do.

That was his part in the Justice League.

He hadn't had a backup plan in case of a Thanagarian invasion. He had, at least to some point, believed in Shayera's good work and therefore believed in her story. There had been no way to prove or disprove her story and he had been persuaded to take her at face value, a fact that was now coming back to haunt him.

She was haunting him, standing outside the cell and looking at him. He could feel her eyes running over him, hear the words of Lieutenant Kragger and knew that Shayera had been the lynchpin in the Thanagarians plan to overthrow the Justice League for whatever means they were hoping to enact. What were they planning? If they were simply building a shield to protect Earth, why all the secrecy, why the taking of prisoners, why the need to lie and deceive? He had a hunch that Shayera did not have all the particulars of this mission, that she was being used just as they had been, but that didn't help to detract from his feelings of anger, of the betrayal that was like a vice around his body.

He had already tried to escape, but that had proven next to impossible. They had tied him in just the right position to prevent him from reaching into his utility belt or for each of the tools that would help him, currently hidden in various places on his person.

Frustration mounted as he sat there, unable to escape and unable to look up at the woman who had betrayed them all.

Shayera continued to follow Lieutenant Kragger as they stopped by Diana's cell. Wonder Woman was bound to a pole by several loops thrown around her waist, her head bent in a position of supplication, her knees bent as she stood there. Her hands were bound by the by her side and she refused to look at Shayera as the two Thanagarians passed, keeping her eyes to the ground.

Shayera knew that this was the one person, besides John, who would potentially never forgive her for what she'd done. Diana had a strong moral code of right and wrong and she couldn't always see the shades of gray in the black and white. She had grown up believing in the ideals of sisterhood and Shayera had broken that bond that lay between them. They had been the only two females of the Justice League and that had brought them together, at least somewhat. They had grown closer when they had been forced to work together when the men had fallen ill, thanks to the rogue Amazon, Aresia. She and Diana hadn't always been able to see eye to eye, mostly due to their extreme differences in backgrounds, but they had forged the female core of the Justice League together, each strengthened by the other.

She would miss that kind of female bonding when she returned to Thanagar.

Lieutenant Kragger stopped in front of John Stewart's cell and he looked up at her, his left eye bruised, his expression angry and sullen. And she knew that he wouldn't be able to forgive her for this. She had stripped him of his manhood, of the truth, and now, of the ring that provided him with such strength and power.

"It would have been difficult to storm their Watchtower without the access codes you provided," Kragger stated arrogantly, knowing something of the relationship that had lay between Shayera and John. He looked so pleased to be able to knock down Shayera, to hurt her, to help shred the remains of her relationship with the Green Lantern and the Justice League even further, knowing that they could hear every word that he uttered. And he was intent on proving to them that Shayera's loyalty and trust lay only with the Thanagarians and no longer with the people of Earth, including the Justice League.

"Also, your analysis of their weaknesses was most helpful," Kragger continued, standing directly by Shayera's side as she stared down into the face of John Stewart, the man who still held such a strong piece of her heart, regardless of what she had done, of what she hadn't told him. Her love for Hro had been built so long ago, fed by their closeness as they had been in the army together and they had shared so many experiences. But five long years without him had caused those feelings to dwindle. She still cared about him, of course, but like a candle, her feelings had faded in the winds of absence, sinking into friendship rather than a deep and abiding love. That, however, had grown as she had spent time with John. They had fought together, loved together, and she had strove to keep herself from falling in love. But to no avail.

And now, with no hope. He wouldn't even look at her, turning his face away rather than have to stare into the face of the woman who had betrayed him.

"That one will be the least trouble of all. He's nothing without his toy," Kragger said, holding up the green power ring between his thumb and forefinger. Kragger looked both smug and satisfied with his possession of the ring, pleased that he had stripped the Green Lantern of something that he held so dear, that fed his powers.

"Don't underestimate them," Shayera said harshly, forcing down the emotions that had been rising in her since she had first set foot in this room. The hardship of facing those she had betrayed and looking each of them in the eye, knowing they knew her as a spy, a traitor, and that there would be no forgiveness for her actions.

"You're right," Kragger replied with a lilt in his voice. "Perhaps we should make sure they are not a threat." He pulled a plasma gun out of his belt with a smile and devilish smile. Shayera looked up at him with irritation. "Better still," he continued," perhaps you should."

He flipped the gun over, handle up, and held it out to her. She took it, hefting it in her palm and looking at the weapon with little expression on her face. Inside, she was screaming with the injustice of it all, knowing that no matter what, she didn't have it in her to kill these men and woman, these people she had learned to call friend, call family since the inception of the Justice League.

Swallowing her wrath at Kragger, at the situation pressing in on her, she gripped the gun tightly and looked up at the lieutenant. "The point of this occupation is to keep peace while we finish our mission. If we kill Earth's heroes, the natives will revolt." She handled the gun back as nonchalantly as she could, her heart in her throat. "Our best plan is to build the shield, then go."

Striding off, she tossed back over her shoulder these words, "Make sure they're well taken care of."

_**Next chapter: Sugar, We're Going Down** – Enacting their escape from the Thanagarian stronghold…_

_**Review, Review, Review!** I really need all the help that I can get from all of you and I want to know your opinions and thoughts on my work. Keeps me going. So help me out! Review!_

_To reviewer **SSJ04 Mewtwo** – Definitely trouble brewing. As if all things could go well for once in the world of the Justice Leaguers. Oh, no. Glad you like it so far!_

_To Reviewer **T** – Definitely you'll always be appreciated. I always make time for the people who make time to read my story and let me know what they think._

_I used to dabble my hand in poetry as well, but it's been a long time. Not really my genre anymore, but I still have so many favorite poets it's not funny. But I also have a lot of favorite authors too. Poetry is often just so much prettier than prose._

_Nope, I need the computer. Sad, but true. It makes my life so much easier. I can go shopping, I can try to find the name of an actor, I can even post fan fiction! It's just great._

_It has thus far worked out for my husband and me. We share a lot of common interests, but we also have a lot of differences too. I think that's important as well. He can live with my BMWW obsession and I can live with his little idiosyncrasies too. Life's funny that way. I did think it was funny though that he wanted to watch those episodes – especially knowing that I wouldn't be able to restrain myself from making little comments throughout them. He liked Initiation too – thinks Supergirl is hot. Hehe._

_I couldn't stop him from yelling at a sporting event if I tried. Maybe heavy drugs or something. Nothing good, you're right!_

_See? I knew that BMWW were always together. I knew it wasn't just me. There's so many episodes where they go off together, even in the first one. They just work so well together. I enjoy the soft side of Batman in Hereafter, but overall, it's just not one of my favorites. I thought the comment she made about Superman's beard was the kind that you'd make to like, I don't know, your cousin or something, just teasing in good fun. I thought it was sweet._

_I have to accept your opinion! You won't give me anything else! hehe._

_Thanksgiving was nice. Got to play with my nieces and nephews and eat mashed potatoes. What else is there? Hope yours was great too!_


	8. Sugar, We're Going Down

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_Thanks to my amazing beta, Lavender Gaia! Also, thanks to all of you who managed to review! I appreciate it! _

_Please review. I'd love to know what you're thinking. _

**Chapter 8, Sugar We're Going Down, by Fall Out Boy**

"_We're going down, down in an earlier round/And Sugar, we're going down swinging/I'll be your number one with a bullet/A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it"_

After Shayera left the prison corridor, the rest of the Justice League remained lost in their thoughts, unsure of how to handle the heady flow of emotions that was rushing through them, the storm tide of anger, rage, and grief. She had been more than simply a teammate to them; she had been a friend. It was hard to accept that a friend could betray them like this, that a friend would turn against all that they'd worked for because of what she believed was service and loyalty to her own country.

But for those of them that could still think coherently, they wondered why the Thanagarians had taken over Earth and its peoples, what their true purpose was behind the "shield" that they were creating. It obviously was more than simply a shield. The Gordanians were nowhere near Earth, why would a shield be necessary?

It had to be a ruse, pure and simple.

But this particular ruse wasn't as straightforward as it appeared because of Shayera's involvement. Did she know what the Thanagarians were planning and had agreed to it? Or was she simply being played, just as the Justice League had, being force fed a lie only to discover the truth later? It was something to consider certainly.

For Batman, he pondered escape routes and possible scenarios in which the Thanagarians were involved. Questions flew through his head and he tried to sort them rationally, to deal with this entire situation logically and thoughtfully, to remove one Shayera Hol from the picture and instead look at what was going on, at the lies and the truths that the Justice League had uncovered.

For John, he considered the utter humiliation of having the woman that he loved suddenly turn against him, suddenly turn away and stand at the side of someone else, someone that she had been promised to for years without telling any of them. There were so many things that she hadn't told anyone. For himself, he wondered how much of Shayera had been true. Had she been the woman that he had fallen for, had become involved with, or was it just another lie, another deception, another charade? Still, he couldn't discount the times that they had spent with one another, wrapped up in bed, lying entwined and talking quietly as night grew into morning. All he knew was that he had been a fool for her, and a fool in all of this.

For Superman, he considered the betrayal of a friend as he lay bathed in red light, weak and powerless to escape. He believed in the goodness that was inborn in people, that trust wasn't earned, but given, and now, with Shayera, it was easy to see that he had trusted her when he should have made her earn the rank of friend, of teammate. It wasn't easy to look back and see that she had been a liar and a traitor, that she was in great part responsible for the League's current situation. And it was impossible to forgive.

For Diana, she refused to think about Shayera or about the Thanagarians. Instead, she thought of retribution, of how to enact her vengeance on these Thanagarian soldiers for daring to take the League, and herself, captive. And she'd never liked to be humbled or disrespected. It was infuriating and demeaning.

Hearing heavy footfalls outside in the corridor, she looked up to see a Thanagarian soldier bearing a tray of food standing just beyond her cell. His expression was hard and uncompromising, but she knew that she had found her patsy and their way out. Still bound by her lasso to the pole, her arms tied to her sides, she watched as he walked into the cell, disarming the force field and taking the few steps to the cell floor. Leaning over, he pressed a button to lower her so that her knees were pressed against the ground.

With a quick flick of the wrists, he tossed the plate of food at her, landing with a clatter just between her spread thighs. Staring down at it, she wanted to gag at the mixture of what appeared to be tentacles, eye balls, and a pile of brown mush. But it did give her the perfect idea of how to begin, how to take this man and wrap him around her finger in a way that he wouldn't expect, wouldn't see coming. She wanted to smile, but instead, she looked up at him angrily and rudely asked, "How'm I supposed to feed myself tied up like this?"

"Not my problem," he snapped back as he turned to walk away, feet already taking the stairs out of her cell.

"It will be if Hawkgirl finds out you disobeyed her orders," she tossed at his retreating back, a smile playing at the corners of her lips, knowing that he couldn't see her expression.

"I know my duties," he said, but he paused for a moment on the steps.

"Then I guess you'll have to feed me," she said with a teasingly flirtatious manner, knowing that it was only moments before his emotions took over and allowed her to escape, to make her move.

He turned back to stare at her in disbelief and she glared at him with a hard smile on her lips, "Don't be afraid, little man." In that same sarcastic flirting tone, she added, "I won't bite."

He advanced rapidly towards her, brandishing a knife and jerking it towards her throat. He pushed his face into hers and angrily snapped, "Mind your tongue, woman. I fear nothing." Glaring at her, he lowered the knife like he was considering slicing her open from stem to stern. Instead, with a quick wrenching moment, he stabbed a tentacle and held it towards her mouth, stating bluntly, "Eat."

She smirked at him just before she leaned forward, slowly opening her mouth as if preparing to savor a tender morsel of food. Instead, she quickly chomped down on his hand, biting his fingers, and with a yelp of pain, he released the knife and she caught in handily between her teeth. He falls backwards and then swiftly rose again to his feet, rushing Diana and in his anger, not realizing the power and strength that is Wonder Woman. She grabbed him around the waist with her legs and squeezed. He groaned, trying desperately to escape her hold, but she simply tightened her legs and head butted him to the ground. He collapsed, unconscious, to the ground with a groan, and Diana allowed herself a moment of pleasure, watching him lying there, helpless and defeated.

But after the moment passed, she looked around, trying to decide on her next move and her eyes lit on the control panel that linked her bonds and the pole that was currently flush against her back. With a flick of her mouth, she threw the knife and it hit against a button on the control panel. Seconds later, her lasso fell away from her, dropping to the floor, and with a menacing promise of vengeance, she emerged from her cell into the prison corridor.

"Security breach in cell block 7," she heard a voice echo from the control booth high above the prison corridor and looked up to see three hawks in the control booth, one speaking, and the other two shooting her with plasma rifles. She deflected the blasts and looked around rapidly, trying to figure out her next move.

"Diana! The force field!" she heard Batman yell and she immediately turned her body towards his cell, blocking additional charges from above before punching in the control panel just outside Batman's cell. Seconds later, she moved to again block the shots and let Batman take care of releasing the others from their prisons.

"Free the others!" she yelled above the fray and rushed towards the control booth sitting above the prison cell corridor as Batman, hands still manacled behind his back, ran towards Flash's cell to liberate him.

Diana, on the other hand, met the two hawks from the control booth in the air, punching one of them and sending him flying to the ground before going after the other. The hawk that Diana had sent careening to the ground rose gingerly from the floor and his eyes immediately alighted on Batman, lurking just outside of Flash's cell. He raced over to the Dark Knight, throwing a punch that Batman quickly dodged before tucking and rolling across the floor to elude the hawk soldier and gain better position. The hawk soldier came towards him again and Batman moved quickly, swinging his legs around and knocking the Thanagarian into the force field around Flash's cell, rendering him unconscious, his screams of agony still lingering in the air.

Batman rapidly killed the force field, walking in and kicking off the gravity podium that was holding Flash still, painfully holding him to the ground. Flash groaned as he made his way slowly to his feet, murmuring "I feel like I just ran a marathon on Jupiter."

"You can rest later," Batman ordered, reaching down to help Flash stand, albeit unsteadily, before the two made their way out of the cell. Flash went over to the hawk soldier Batman had knocked unconscious, removing the keys from his pocket and unleashing the shackles from around Batman's hands. They fell to the ground with a clutter and immediately moved to rescue the others.

Diana, high in the air, punched one of the hawk soldiers and as another rushed her, she placed her arms under his incoming body and flung him away, barely listening as he crashed into a nearby wall.

One of the soldiers, after Diana punched him, fell to the ground and looked up to see Flash standing in the corridor, walking towards J'onn's cell. Flash rapidly ducked into Diana's cell and as the soldier followed him, he lifted the plate of food and used it as a boomerang, flinging it towards solider and hitting him in the head, knocking him unconsciousness. He dragged the soldier into the cell and dashed outside, re-instating the force field around the cell.

Batman moved quickly towards Superman's cell, taking down the shield and walking in, unlocking the shackles that bound the Man of Steel.

"The lights…" Superman murmured weakly.

"Lean on me," Batman said to his friend and Superman immediately leaned heavily into Batman as the two emerged from the cell. Ambushed outside, Batman fell to the ground after a punch from a soldier landing just beside him. The soldier moved towards Superman and the Man of Steel punched him twice, but the soldier barely blinked an eye as the punches fell on his jaw. Instead, he punched Superman and as Superman fell to the ground, the soldier continued to pummel him mercilessly. From behind him, Batman rose and hit the soldier over the head with an Nth metal axe he had stolen from one of the other downed Thanagarians. The soldier fell on top of Superman, who carelessly pushed him to the side and reached up to take the hand that Batman offered, rising to his feet.

"Here," Batman said, "try this," and with those words, he handed him the axe before leaning down and grasping another of the Nth metal weapons from the soldier he had just felled. As soldiers rushed up to stop them, the pair began to swing away, hawk soldiers falling in the wake of their axes.

Flash moved to help J'onn out of his cell, the Martian leaning heavily on Flash as the two made their way into the corridor of the prison, watching as a hawk soldier pushed Diana into a wall beside the cell, crushing the wall panel, and punching her. With a growl, she pushes him away, following as he landed next to an opening door which revealed five or six Thanagarian soldiers rushing towards her with spears and assorted weaponry. She threw away the first soldier to reach her, punching the next and kicking another. Several raced up towards her and pushed her into the cell behind her and she fought like a wildcat, punching and pummeling the hawk soldiers intent on subduing her.

Flash, leaving J'onn with some sort of electrified nun chucks to beat off the soldiers, raced over to John's cell. "Took you long enough," John stated to the speedster before yelling, "Behind you!" As a soldier rushed Flash with an axe, Flash turned, taking out the soldier by diving at him and wrapping his arms around his legs, knocking him to the ground. John moved quickly, bringing his still shackled hands up and beating the soldier about the face and chest.

The fighting continued as the Justice League struggled to conquer the Thanagarians and emerge as the victors in this fight, ultimately escaping so that they could find a way to retake their positions on earth and topple the Thanagarian regime. They fought earnestly and with everything that was left in their weakened bodies, knowing that this was there only chance for break away from their captivity and regain the world.

A soldier emerged from the sky, bearing a plasma cannon over his shoulder. Cocking it, he aimed it at Wonder Woman, but Superman noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye, and with a quick flick of his strong wrists, he hurled the Nth metal hammer at the cannon just as it discharging, sending a stream of plasma through the roof of the mother ship. Immediately, air began to rush out of the ship in a stream of wind and sound as the ship began to plummet towards the ground, falling from its position in the sky.

Turning to the others, Diana shouted, "We're losing altitude fast! We need to go! Now!" And with those words, Batman leaped onto Superman's back as the hero took to the air, grasping Flash in his hands and following Diana, with John under one arm and J'onn over her other shoulder, as they raced out of the ship into the air, flying away as the Thanagarian ship crashed into the harbor, sinking beneath the flotsam and jetsam as the members of the Justice League made good their escape.

_**Next chapter: Found Out About You –** the remaining Justice League members are forced reveal their identities as they try to stay hidden from the fleet of Thanagarians looking for them in the only way possible…_

_**So what do you think so far? Also, what do you think should happen between BM and WW when she finds out about his little suicide attempt with the Watchtower? Why do you think that she apologized for kissing him in the Indian restaurant? I have ideas for bothbut I want to hear yours...(in the context of my story, of course, not the episode!)**_

_To reviewer **Just Thought I'd Let You Know **- Thank you for letting me know! You're right, I had no idea that anything was wrong with the logging in and review process for anyone. I knew that the story alerts weren't working so great - that's why I sent an email out to everyone I could to let them know that another chapter was up on the site. I'm glad that you think my story is great and that it deserves reviews! I hope others feel the same. Hehe._

_To reviewer **Lauren** - Hope you liked this chapter as well! BMWW forever!_

_To reviewer **SSJ04 Mewtwo**_ _- I hope that Chapter 8 was worth the wait. I don't think it's my best, but it's certainly an integral part of the story. Glad that you liked Chapter 7 - I did try to capture everyone's feelings about Shayera, and hers about them and where she would stand with them now. I felt that I needed to put Shayera in there as well - to get into her head a little bit. She's both a hero and a tragic figure in this story and she needs to be there!_

_To reviewer **T** – See, I think that shopping online is great. Who wants to fight the crowds? Especially this time of year. And there's just some things that you can't get elsewhere. Like my mom loves old Nancy Drew books and they're easiest to find online. Not needy so much as too lazy to fight the world at a mall. _

_He does try and please me by doing little things, like watching Justice League. Especially lately since he has been suffering from migraines, so he's been down and out for the count and I'm doing more stuff than usual. So he'll try and do whatever he can. That's always sweet._

_He does think Supergirl is hot. Mostly, I think he finds her clone, Galatea, hot. It's the costume. Gotta be the costume._

_There's no easy way to stop him from yelling other than finding a mute button for humans. Which could make life in general rather interesting._

_There always seem to be more "moments" between Wonder Woman and other characters. Guess Bats isn't really a "moments" kind of guy. Plus, less girls. Although he and Zatanna had a moment, but I couldn't quite count that, as she was helping him with Wonder Pig. Hehe. I do hate the moments with others, but I chose to make that one a "cousinly" moment. Like when she ruffles Flash's hair in the next chapter. Hehe._

_Glad you liked the chapter! I enjoy putting Shayera's thoughts in there as well. I want her to come across as not just the bad guy in this, but the pawn of eviler minds. I certainly wouldn't want to be in her situation._

_Burnt the turkey? Well, at least you'll have a story to tell!_


	9. Found Out About You

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_Anybody still reading this? _

**Chapter 9, Found Out About You, by Gin Blossoms **

_"I found out about you…" _

The six of them touched down on the streets below them quickly after they made their escape from the Thanagarian stronghold that was currently smoking and burning amidst the harbor. They all knew that the Thanagarians would not hesitate to come after them and that, although they had escaped, their safety was certainly in danger. Everyone knew them, knew what they looked like and there was no easy way to hide themselves amongst the throngs of people, the ordinary citizens, dressed as they were and weak as a few of them still were.

Reaching the ground, Superman set Flash down on his feet and immediately, the hero stumbled, unable to stand up due to the flight and the beating that his body had taken on the gravity podium in the Thanagarian cell. His legs still felt like wobbly gelatin and although his knees buckled with the first step, he felt better being back on solid ground for once, regardless of the soldiers that would surely be closely following them, intent on recapturing them.

J'onn had regained consciousness during the short flight and Diana set him gingerly on his feet, placing her arm around his waist and steadying him to make sure that he could stand on his own. He appeared a bit rattled, but overall stable, loosening Diana's grip on his waist and giving her a gentle smile as he extricated himself from her arms. She looked at him with concern, but noticed that he appeared to be steady on his feet.

"We need to move," Batman said. "Now!" And off they scurried, like little mice scuttling along the streets and alleyways of the city. Above their heads, hawk soldiers roamed in droves, spears and axes at the ready. They began to notice as well that large floating tanks were hovering along the streets with great spotlights beaming into every dark nook and cranny, presumably looking for the Justice League members out on the lam and anyone else in violation of their laws. The tanks went rumbling down the streets every few minutes, with barely any hesitation in their search as they continued to comb the city for the six Justice Leaguers.

Night quickly fell and with a patter of fast footfalls, the six ran to an alley from a nearby street just after a small group of soldiers passed in a tank with the huge spotlight beaming as they hid behind a corner, watching as the soldiers barked out orders, peering into the side streets as if they too were blessed with some kind of x-ray vision.

After their dash, they looked around to see hawk soldiers patrolling the sky just over where they had just stood. Pausing at a corner, Batman peered around the edge, trying to blend into the darkness of the alley as he observed the hawk ships and additional soldiers blocking the path just ahead of them.

"Go!" ordered John and they dashed across the way just behind the group of soldiers passing and headed into another alley, filled with two large garbage receptacles and shadows bouncing off of the walls and clustering on the streets beneath their feet.

Again, Batman walked to the end of the alley and peered around the corner, trying to determine just how many hawk soldiers were currently in their area. Whether stationary or mobile, they would certainly be looking for them and they had to find safety, some semblance of shelter, soon. Perched on a nearby rooftop were two of the Thanagarian soldiers, anxiously keeping watch on the surrounding area and Batman quickly ducked his head back, hoping that they hadn't spotted his movements. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed another of the Thanagarian tanks fitted with the spotlights loomed down the street, heading right in their direction. He turned and immediately motioned for everyone to hide the best that they could in the short amount of time that they had before the soldiers passed by their hiding place.

Two soldiers approach the alley, armed with spears, and just behind them rolled the tank, pausing at the alley in order to shine the bright light through the area, trying to determine if the Justice League was hiding there. Each of them held their breath, waiting anxiously for their discovery to be announced, to be plucked from the shadows by one of the Thanagarians, at the ready to dismember them or enact some other sort of torture as proof to the world of what the interlopers would do with traitors to their regime.

Behind one of the garbage receptacles, Diana and John ducked low, trying to avoid being seen. John held himself stiffly, his hands still manacled, and his breathing slow and regular. Diana remembered that he had been in the marines – perhaps this kind of reconnaissance work was more typical for him, easier for him to go back into. For herself, she disliked the idea of hiding in the shadows, just waiting to be discovered and revealed to the Thanagarians looking so diligently for them. She would prefer to be out hunting them down and removing them from the confines of her planet. But even as those heated thoughts rolled through her mind, she realized that it was impossible to consider such a notion. After all, the skies and the streets were swarming with hawk soldiers and they were only six now. In addition to that, they had Hawkgirl on their side, ready and willing to tell them all she could about their weaknesses, about what made them easier to capture, some plan to land them back in those cells.

Now wasn't a time to take that chance. They would have to lay low for awhile and she would simply have to fight down the urge to throttle the Thanagarians one by one, particularly when she heard the voice of Lieutenant Kragger echo through the alley, "Onward!" Slowly, the tank rolled away and each of them heaved a soft sigh of relief, happy that they hadn't been captured this time, but realistically aware that their chances for surviving this night were still rather dim. From behind the other dumpster, Superman and J'onn emerged, the latter still in his Martian form. Batman slowly stood, hidden previously by a number of large garbage bags lying to the side of one of the dumpsters. With a soft metallic sound, Flash pushed up the lid of one of the garbage receptacles and, limbs gangling, climbed out of the dumpster and landed softly on his feet. Looking behind him, he noticed a bevy of hawk shadows emanating from the alley beside them, fast coming closer and yelped quietly, "We gotta move, people!"

They ran across the street, each of them taking note of a large warehouse currently in their sights, a little dull and dingy, but the perfect place to sit quietly for awhile while they figured out a plan of action, some way to elude the Thanagarians and retake Earth, a strategy that seemed almost impossible when the odds were so clearly against them. But, Diana told herself, they'd persevere, they always did, no matter what the likelihood of their victory happened to be. They would accept nothing less. And now, they all had a common goal, and a bond of a betraying friend that bound them together as nothing had before. Plus, she thought, looking ahead at the wind-ridden cape of Batman's as he ran ahead of her, they still had their leader of stratagems, the man who always found some way for them to come out ahead. She wanted to smile at the thought, but, in that moment, simply couldn't let herself relax even that much.

All she knew was that they, she and Bruce, had something else to fight for now, something else to push them into victory – each other, their relationship. She would fight for Earth, fight to prove themselves in the eyes of the world, fight for her teammates and the one they'd lost, and for him, for them. They'd come this far and she wasn't about to let this man, this knight of the darkness slip through her fingers. After all, she thought, a princess needed her knight errant, even if he didn't always fit smoothly into the role. Maybe, she wondered as she ran swiftly alongside the others towards the warehouse, that was why this man had captured her heart to the exclusion of all others.

Coming to a halt by the door, they looked around at each other, but Diana was already in motion, walking forward to grasp the handle of the door and giving it a good, sharp twist, breaking the lock and crushing the handle. "Everyone inside!" ordered J'onn and without another word, he and Flash entered the building.

"Can you give me a hand with these?" John asked Superman, pulling his hands up and showing the Man of Steel his manacles. Immediately, red lasers began to shoot out of Superman's eyes, lancing the metal of the manacles as he stated, "Still not up to full strength." The manacles fell away seconds later and John mentioned his appreciation, "Much better. Thanks," as he rubbed his wrists and flexed his fingers, trying to get the feeling and the flexibility back in his appendages. He tossed the manacles in a nearby garbage dumpster and followed Superman into warehouse without further ado.

Batman quickly looked at Diana and demanded, "Diana, cover our tracks," and strode inside the building without looking back. She moved swiftly to follow his instructions, pulling the garbage receptacle in front of the door and flying over it to dodge inside the warehouse, shutting the door firmly but quietly behind her just as a number of hawk soldiers soared over where they had been standing only minutes before.

Walking inside a few steps, they stopped to take a look around, trying to get a grasp on the situation and their location. "That x-ray vision working yet?" John asked Superman, who, in turn, looked up towards the roof, stating, "Just enough to see hawk soldiers still patrolling the skies," in a harsh and somewhat disappointed tone.

"They'll have the whole city covered by now," J'onn quietly added, staring towards the street where they had just been, knowing that the entire area was infested with Thanagarians.

"Who knows? Maybe they'll get tired and go home," Flash said positively, even knowing that he himself didn't believe those words. The others turned to stare at him with patented looks of disbelief tinged with a little bit of pity. But they understood when he uttered his next words, "Yeah, I know. But a little optimism at a time like this couldn't hurt."

Almost immediately, bright lights came streaming in the windows that lined the upper wall of the warehouse and the voice of Hro Talak came bouncing out of the darkness and the shadows.

"This is the voice of the Thanagarian Occupational Authority. Your so called Justice League is in violation of our martial law. They are to be considered an enemy and dealt with on sight. Any person found aiding or harboring them will be summarily punished."

His accent lingered on the last two words, as did the thoughts of the six Justice League members standing stock-still in a darkened warehouse, wondering how they would manage to find their way through this situation and emerge as the victors, both for themselves and for Earth. Not one of them knew precisely what the Thanagarians were doing on Earth, but their reasons were obviously nefarious and they had someone who had formerly been one of them on their side. The odds looked both long and desperate.

"Okay," Flash added, hanging his head, "So much for optimism."

"For the time being, "Batman said quietly but firmly, taking control of the situation, "We're going to have to go underground."

"How exactly do we hide when the entire planet is looking for us?" Diana asked, not understanding what the meaning was behind his words, exactly what the Dark Knight intended for them to do, but J'onn immediately picked up on it.

"They are looking for the Justice League. Without our costumes, we are merely ordinary citizens." And with those words, he transformed from his Martian form into a human one, with brown hair, piercing eyes, and a lean, chiseled face. He was clothed in a red shirt with a double breasted brown jacket and grey twill pants.

"Hold on a second here," Flash said a little nervously, holding up his hands as if to ward off the plan they were now considering. "What about the whole secret identity thing? I mean," he added with a false reassuring tone, "I trust you guys, but I'm not sure I'm ready to-"

He was interrupted by Batman pointing a finger at him and stating irritably, "Wally West." He then motioned towards Superman and added, "Clark Kent." And then, he reached towards his face, pulling back the cowl and revealing the handsome visage that Diana had come to intimately know and love during their time together. "Bruce Wayne." She had to stifle her laughter when she looked at Flash's expression of total incredulity, his eyes wide and surprised as hell.

Then his expression faded into a childish pout as he uttered, "Showoff," pulling off his cowl as well and revealing a baby faced man with a shock of red hair that waved and spiked around his head. It was utterly irresistible to Diana, so totally Flash-like and full of youthful optimism, that she couldn't help but lean over and ruffle his hair, telling him, "Red hair. It suits you."

He smiled, a beaming grin, and asked, "You think?" seconds before a pair of pants was launched at his head, stopping the byplay between the two, particularly when Bruce ordered, "Change!" Diana walked off, but the grin stayed on Wally's face, even when Bruce demanded brusquely, "Now!"

Bruce couldn't help but let a little of his jealousy out as he watched the admittedly light, but affectionate flirtation between Wally and Diana. He knew, obviously, that she didn't have any strong feelings for the speedster other than friendship, but still, the byplay between them had rankled, causing him to yell at Wally and vent a little of the green emotion of envy that had flooded his system at Diana's ruffling of Wally's hair.

Luckily, she had taken his actions at face value and was now moving off to change, dressing in a pair of blue jeans and a light blue shirt with bell sleeves and a scoop neck that complimented her figure, nipping in at the waist. Her hair was pulled back in a long, sweeping ponytail, an unusual look for her, but still, it looked good on her.

He turned around, trying not to let the others know that he was watching Diana, noticing that Clark was dressed in his usual reporter's outfit of a blue suit, white shirt, and red tie, the ever present glasses firmly in place on the bridge of his nose. John was wearing something a lot less formal – a pair of dark pants, a dark shirt, and a zip up sweatshirt. On his head was a light blue hat that clung to his skull. Flash had found a brown jacket, sneakers, and white shirt to go with the pair of pants that Bruce had flung at him. The clothes helped to reveal that Flash, or Wally West, was indeed the youngest of the group, still somewhat baby-faced and optimistic at heart.

They walked outside to see the entire area littered with hawk soldiers, their shadows falling along the ground and their voices easily heard above the fray. Diana looked over at Bruce, watching as his face fell into its usual stoic expression, regardless of the fact that he was without his cape and cowl. He was wearing a black jacket, a grey shirt, and brown pants and Diana's eyes couldn't help but focus on him, at how well and easily he wore the casual clothes, just as he donned the clothes that made him Batman so well. She had to pry her eyes away from his handsome face and focus on John's words.

"We need to split up," he said. "They'll be looking for six of us, not pairs." And immediately, they all agreed to the notion, knowing that it was the best way to keep their identities hidden and themselves low profile.

"Rendezvous point?" J'onn asked quietly.

"We're about thirty miles from Gotham City," Bruce said, taking control of the situation as he so often did. "We can regroup at my house there. But try and keep a low profile." And with those words, he walked off into the hawk infested streets, Diana close on his heels, her ponytail swinging with every step.

"Thirty miles through hawk infested territory?" Flash questioned. Then he added with a sad sort of sarcasm, "No problem," and he and John walked off into the night behind Superman and J'onn.

**_Next chapter: Kiss - the now infamous scene that I know you've all been looking forward to between Batman and Wonder Woman in the Indian restaurant..._**

**_Please review! _**

_**Two Questions**: Would you like to read chapters showing what J'onn and Superman & Flash and Green Lantern were up to on their way to Wayne Manor? Also, which do you prefer – first person or third person perspective? _

_To Reviewer **T** – Online shopping is great this time of year. Otherwise, you have to fight for parking spots, wait in line forever, and generally just hope they have something you're looking for. Lazy, sure, but I just don't have the patience and the need to torture myself in that way. Makes life a little bit easier. _

_He is a pretty sweet guy. Thanks for reminding me! _

_Let's just say Galatea has large breasts. I think that's part of the appeal. Hehe. _

_See, with Wonder Woman, I can put myself in a frame of mind where I just decide that she's just being friendly, being herself. I agree with you about the Bats and Catwoman thing. I can't do it, can't say, won't watch it, won't talk about it. Does that make us obsessive fans? _

_Glad you liked the chapter. Not one of my best by any means, but action scenes are so difficult to write. Thanks for the applause and on with the story! _

_To Reviewer **SSJO4 Mewtwo** – Well, I'm glad that chapter wasn't as bad as I thought. I enjoyed watching it, but I didn't feel like the writing of it went off so well. Action is not fun to write. But it is fun to watch – they were awesome in this part of the episode! _

_To Reviewer **Lauren** – I like hearing the word remarkable in conjunction with my writing. Well, the kiss will be the next chapter – hopefully you like what I do with it and think it's brilliant! Thanks! _


	10. Kiss

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_Thank you to all of you who have reviewed somewhere along the line! I never thought that I'd have this many reviews already! MWAH! I really appreciate it, so THANKS and KEEP IT UP! I got 15 reviews so far this chapter, my most EVER! THANK YOU!_

**Chapter 10, Kiss, by Prince**

"_U don't have 2 be rich/2 be my girl/U don't have 2 be cool/2 rule my world/Ain't no particular sign I'm more compatible with/I just want your extra time and your – Kiss"_

"We're about thirty miles from Gotham City," Bruce said, taking control of the situation as he so often did. "We can regroup at my house there. But try and keep a low profile." And with those words, he walked off into the hawk infested streets, Diana close on his heels, her ponytail swinging with every step.

Side by side, only inches separating their bodies, they began to walk through the streets, their eyes alighting on the hawk soldiers in their masks, spears in hand as they roamed the city, looking for those who were going against their martial law and for the six members of the Justice League on the lam. And knowing that fact, they kept their eyes averted, able to feel the warmth of the other as their arms brushed and taking comfort in that fact as they continued through the darkness, every move bringing about the possibility of their discovery.

In the air, soldiers littered the skies, and they could hear the constant hum of the Thanagarian tanks that were hovering in the air, using their spotlight to point out areas of problem and chaos, searching every nook and cranny in their hunt for troubles and escaped League members.

Walking down the sidewalk, they passed civilian after civilian, on their faces expressions of worry and fear, as if they knew that the Thanagarians could, at any moment, enact retribution for the slightest of offenses. People hovered in the shadows, clinging to the walls, avoiding eye contact with others and clutching the tiny hands of their children, hoping to avoid interrogation and any sort of trouble.

Passing a storefront, they could hear a severe and quiet voice emanating from a series of television sets, "We are here to serve the people of Earth," said a wide-eyed hawk solider with full lips and a patch of hair dotting either side of his lengthy chin. "We serve the people of Earth by making sure that what you do is in your best interest. What is in your best interest is to do as we say. Only by obeying us can we serve you."

The words seemed to mock them cruelly as they passed the store in the darkness, knowing that the hawk soldiers were lying to the people of Earth, that they had no intention of doing what was best for the world, only what was best for the Thanagarians. If only they knew what was being planned. But once they regrouped, the six of them would be able to rationally discuss and figure out what the people of Thanagar had planned for Earth, why they had arrived and tried to pass themselves off as the saviors of the world. But now was not a time for discovery, it was a time for blending in, for mixing among the civilians in order to ensure their survival.

Bruce and Diana slowed as they noticed a group of hawk soldiers ahead of them harassing a young couple, rudely demanding for identification before grabbing the female and jerking her purse out her arms, causing her to take a reflex step back and gasp. "Hey! Leave her alone!" the male with her commanded and for his efforts, one of the hawks pushed him backwards. Stumbling, he fell to the ground, fear overriding the anger that had been in his voice.

Bruce looked on the scene with anger, but kept his emotions firmly in control, knowing that right now, their lives depended on their ability to blend in with the crowd, to pass themselves off as ordinary citizens out for a stroll, a young couple enjoying each other's company as they wandered through the darkness side by side.

Diana, on the other hand, began to grow livid as she witnessed the spectacle of the couple in front of her being harassed by the Thanagarians as they barked out orders and pushed people around simply because of their newfound power on the planet. But once the Justice League regrouped, they would find a way to overthrow the hawks and send them back to Thanagar, to defeat them utterly and stop this brutal reign of tyranny.

As the young man fell to the ground, Diana took an unconscious step forward. Bruce quickly reached out and grabbed her, wrapping his hand around her upper arm. "Diana, no." He pulled her back to him, looking stoic, and stared into her incensed face, just inches between their lips as her eyes blazed furiously at him, feeling the grip around her arm and wishing that she could intervene, that she could just do _something, anything_ to right this situation, to have things back the way that they had been only days ago, with Shayera in their midst and happiness in all their hearts, without the lies, without the anger and the sorrow. And with those thoughts, her helplessness and therefore, her fury rose, and she glared at Bruce. "You would stand here and do nothing?" she asked, her underlying tone one of heat and determination.

He watched as she pursed her lips and he pulled her closer, telling her softly, "We can't risk a confrontation," meeting her blue gaze with one that stated his understanding and insistence.

"Hey, birdheads!"

They both immediately turned to the source of the voice, gazing up at two young men on the roof of the building above the couple, clutching rocks in their hands as the looked down on the Thanagarian soldiers and the young couple. "Go back where you came from! Get off our planet!" shouted the men as they hurled the rocks down towards the hawk soldiers, the granite chunks bouncing harmlessly on the ground.

With a careless glance, one of the soldiers aimed his gun towards the two young men, shooting a laser upwards. It hit and the ledge of the roof began to crumble, disintegrating and raining down heavy pieces of debris that fell towards the young couple on the ground in front of the soldiers.

Diana immediately moved forward to rescue the young couple, scooping them up and flying them to safety, giving away her identity with her flight. Bruce groaned under his breath, but realized that the damage had been done and now was the time to avert further complications, to save their asses, and quickly. He looked over at the hawk soldiers and realized that they were staring at Diana, their minds taking seconds to grasp the connection between this woman rescuing the couple and Wonder Woman, the former Princess of Themyscira. He rushed forward, kicking one of the shoulders and launching him into the other. They fell to the ground, groaning, and Diana put the couple down safely further down the sidewalk.

"Over there! It's the Justice League" shouted voices and they looked over to see hawk soldiers rushing out of a nearby alley, shooting their laser guns, the beams raining down around Bruce and Diana. Looking swiftly at one another, they took off running, Bruce saying amidst the storm of lasers, "So much for blending it!"

As they neared a corner, Bruce turned down it, feet moving rapidly to outdistance the hawk soldiers following them, weapons at the ready and guns sounding. Diana, spying a light post at the corner, reached down and grasped it towards the bottom, wrenching it from its concrete stays and swinging it behind her at the upcoming hawk soldiers, smashing them into the building wall. They fell to the sidewalk and she stopped for a second, staring at them, until Bruce came up, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her down the street, searching for anything that remotely resembled safety.

"In here!" yelled an Indian man from a doorway. He was garbed in a brown tunic and pants, a red turban wrapped around his head, gesturing to the restaurant behind him, his face shadowed by the darkness and his goatee. "Please hurry!" he demanded as they stopped in the doorway to look back, seeing the skies empty for the moment, but aware that at any moment the Thanagarians could emerge and capture them, even kill them right there on the spot. Without further ado, Bruce and Diana ducked into the restaurant, followed by the Indian owner as a trio of hawk soldiers flew around the corner.

"We can't stay here," Bruce told the restaurant owner quietly. "If they find you helping us…" He paused by a table, noticing the patrons looking at them with gentle understanding and a tiny hint of a fear showing in their faces. The owner, however, paid no mind to Bruce's words, putting a hand on each of their backs and pushing them towards the back of the restaurant, towards a small table for two by a window. Taking them each by the hand, he gestured rapidly to the table, saying "Here, sit here," and they sat, deciding that the owner had made his own choice; they could do no less than honor it.

The owner's wife quickly rushed over to the table, glancing behind her in worry, but intent on reaching Diana as fast as her feet could carry her. She pulled out a light blue silk scarf, wrapping it around Diana's head and covering the majority of her hair, blocking the view of the ebony strands that could so easily place her as Wonder Woman.

Moments later, hawk soldiers burst into the restaurant, slamming the door against the wall and looking around, weapons in hand and suspicion written on their faces as they eyed the patrons warily. Bruce glanced in their direction, trying to determine their number and what weapons they carried, but seconds later, felt the warmth of a hand that he knew to be Diana's sliding around his nape, pulling him in for a kiss, momentarily distracting him as he lost himself in the lips of the woman that he loved. Her lips were cool and he could almost taste the worry riding her mind as she tried to blend in, tried to make it seem as if they were nothing more than lovers, enjoying the touch and taste of one another as they dined together. He put his hand low on her shoulder and pulled her closer, enjoying both the moment and the fact that he believed the ruse would work, that the Thanagarians wouldn't suspect them to be Batman and Wonder Woman but ordinary people lost in one another and their love.

And he was. There had been so few moments since the Thanagarians had arrived to even enjoy each other's company, much less the touch and feel of the woman who was coming to capture a larger piece of his heart with every word, every encounter that lay between them. This kiss would serve as a distraction, but also as a calming device because that's what they did to one another, soothed, comforted. There was a trust between them that had been steadily growing since the inception of their relationship, allowing them to relax in one another's company. Even now, in public, he was aware of that the jangling nerves inside him were subsiding. And their secretive relationship served to provide greater proof to the hawk soldiers that they were nothing more than lovers, exactly what they were in this moment, just Bruce and Diana in love.

"We're looking for a dark haired man and woman," one of the soldiers said to the restaurant owner, his voice booming in the quiet of the room, allowing Bruce to hear it clearly. If that was the only description that they could provide, then he and Diana should be in the clear. In civilian clothes, neither of them had any distinguishing features, as so many people could qualify as dark haired.

"If, perhaps, you could be more specific," the owner stated, gesturing to the room. The entire restaurant population is made up with nothing but men and women with dark hair, some balding, some darker skinned, but all of them fitting those basic qualifications.

"Has anyone entered here recently?"

In a heavily accented voice, the Indian man stated, "No."

"What about those two?" the soldier demanded, gesturing to the back of the room where Bruce and Diana were lips locked, seemingly absorbed in each other to the exclusion of all else in the restaurant, including the hawk soldiers. And to some extent, it was true. They drew back for a moment, only to have their lips quickly meet again, clinging as they tasted the softness and texture of the other, so familiar by now and yet still so new.

"Uh huh, the lovers. Been here for hours." Bruce felt a sigh of relief emanate from Diana and tightened his hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze to communicate his return of the feeling, and his gratitude for her quick thinking in initiating the kiss, for so many reasons.

Their patience and rapture with each other paid off as the hawk soldier in charge brusquely stated, "Let's move on," and walked out of the door. Diana's eyes widened as she realized that their ruse had worked and drawing away, she looked at Bruce with an expression of apology for having used their relationship for such a means. "Sorry."

He practically leered at her in return, giving her one of the patented Bruce Wayne smiles, answering, "Don't be."

The taste of Diana lingered on his lips as he got up from the table and he caught himself reaching for her as they followed stood, following the owner as he led them to the back door, through the kitchen of the Indian restaurant. Diana reached up, pulling the scarf off her head and handing it to the owner's wife with a small smile of gratitude, her eyes stating just how thankful she was that these people had chosen to interfere and to save both herself and Bruce.

As they left by the back door, the smell of Indian food wafting into the dark alley, Bruce nodded to the restaurant owner, a showing of respect for the aid and assistance the man had given and the courage that he had shown in helping two people he had to realize were escaped members of the Justice League.

Closing the door softly behind him, he reached out and grasped Diana's hand, stealing a moment in the darkness as she turned around, pulling her closely and gently pressing his lips to hers, letting her know without words that there was nothing for her to be sorry about, that he had enjoyed her particular method of persuading the Thanagarians from seeing them as the Justice League, and distracting him from being wishing that she hadn't interfered, giving up their location and identity.

She melted into him as they stood in the shadows, their bodies melding together as they sought to erase the tint of the worry and desperation that had clung to them in the Indian restaurant, taking solace in each other. Gently drawing back, he pressed his forehead to hers, bringing his hands up to rest around her waist as her fingers crept into his hair, gently tousling the dark strands. "I'm sorry," she again whispered. "I didn't want to use our relationship like that, but I couldn't think of anything else to do."

"Diana," he said, a little harshness in his voice, "You did what had to be done.

"Besides," he added, pulling back and gently pushing her ponytail behind her shoulders, smoothing his thumb along the line of her cheekbone, "I enjoyed it."

She smiled softly at him in the darkness, the brightness of her smile enough to lighten the shadows that lay around them. And after another soft kiss, he looked up at the sky, seeing the hordes of soldiers patrolling the city by wing, the humming motors of the Thanagarian hover tanks finally reaching his ears, making him realize that they needed to go.

"Thirty miles to Gotham, Princess," he murmured, "Try to control yourself this time."

She wanted to roll her eyes at his words, but settled for giving him a look of exasperation. "It worked out in the end."

He leered at her again, winking as he added, "Time to go," giving her fingers a squeeze before striding out of the alley, head high and shoulder straight, marching straight into the streets filled with Thanagarian soldiers.

"Hera help us," she whispered before following him.

_**Next chapter: Redemption Day – Shayera chooses redemption in the eyes of the Justice League…May include what happened to the other pairs on their way to Wayne Manor…or should I add more to BMWW? Let me know!**_

_**Please review!**_

_To Reviewer **T** – You sound like my mother. She can't stand to ever sit still. Me, I don't mind being inactive sometimes. And shopping online is also nice because the company can ship things up to my in-laws, so I don't have to go stand in line at the post office too. Although I do need some stamps…_

_It is nice to be reminded that you found somebody great and that you're happy. I suppose we all need that sometimes. Nobody is sweet all the time. I'm certainly not!!!_

_Yeah, well, her breasts are all squished together in the top and then there's the keyhole just over top of the cleavage. Boobalicious! She's like the slightly older version of Supergirl._

_Batman and Catwoman is a huge no-no in my life. Along with Barbara Gordon and Batman. I will never admit that that happened. Grosses me out and I refuse to consider it. And I hate the Wondy/Supes pairing. Just can't see it happening._

_No, you're definitely not the only over-obsessed fan. I'm right there with you! And I imagine a few others reading this as well._

_Thanks! I enjoy writing Wally's reaction. He's so cute in that part. And I just love his red hair and the easy affection between him and Diana. Very brother and sister. Thanks for the review, I really appreciate it!_

_To Reviewer **SSJO4 Mewtwo** – Third person it is! At least for now. I enjoy writing both and maybe some stories later will call for first person. Thanks for the review!_


	11. Midnight Rider & Livin' On a Prayer

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_Thank you to all of you who have been keeping up with this story and most especially to all of you who have reviewed! I can't believe I topped 15 reviews for Chapter 9 with 17 reviews so far for Chapter 10! I'm just amazed and beside myself and more or less ecstatic! I can only hope that the reviews continue and that you all continue to enjoy this story as it goes on…(depending, of course, on how I decide to end it)-_

_Once again beta-ed by DWParnsip, thank you!!!!!_

**Chapter 11, Midnight Rider, by the Allman Brothers/Livin' On a Prayer, by Bon Jovi**

"_I don't own the clothes I'm wearing/And the road goes on forever/And I've got one more silver dollar/But I'm not gonna let them catch me, no/Not gonna let 'em catch the midnight rider"_

"_She says we gotta hold on to what we've got/It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not/We've got each other and that's a lot for love/Oh, we're halfway there, livin' on a prayer/Take my hand, we'll make I swear/oh, livin' on a prayer"_

_Flash/GL_

"I can't believe that Batman is actually Bruce Wayne," Flash told Green Lantern in a hushed whisper, turning his head just slightly to the side so that the other passengers on the train wouldn't be able to hear his conversation. When the revealing of identities had commenced, he'd been shocked to his toes to discover the true identity of Batman. After all, who would believe that the notorious playboy billionaire of Gotham donned a cape, cloak, and tights in order to become a vigilante of the night, to be Batman? The two pictures just couldn't be rectified in Flash's mind. He had seen just days ago a newspaper photo of Bruce Wayne cutting a ribbon at a grand opening ceremony for a new factory alongside a photo of the infamous New Year's Eve party that had taken place at Wayne Manor, their current destination.

He simply couldn't believe it, couldn't understand how someone with the sometimes menacing and always commanding personality of the Batman could also be the jocular, jovial Bruce Wayne, the man who romanced every female under the sun and, Flash wouldn't be surprised if extra-terrestrial women were involved with the man as well. After all, the man was certainly considered handsome, if the gossip rags were anything to go by, of course. Flash hadn't been checking out Bruce Wayne, that's for sure. He shuddered in distaste at the thought, looking out of the corner of his eye at Green Lantern.

Ever since the Hawkgirl's betrayal had been revealed, the man had been mired in the depths of depression, barely surfacing to be civil or social. Flash looked at GL's face, lined with worry and anger, and couldn't help but pity the guy. He and Shayera had come to know and care for one another as part of the Justice League and now it seemed like the league was in tatters, disintegrating thanks to the betrayal and deception of one woman. He would never have suspected it of Shayera – she had been a good friend, one with a kind heart even if she did often threaten him with that mace.

And now, GL wasn't even talking, just sitting there like a lump, ignoring Flash and sunk in his own obviously depressing thoughts. He wasn't even reacting to Batman's true identity!

As for Superman, Flash had heard of Clark Kent, but only in passing as a reporter for the Daily Planet. He certainly wasn't in the same league as Bruce Wayne. You'd think a man with his money and obvious good looks and charm would be able to lighten up once in awhile, maybe even smile. It just didn't make any sense.

Then again, nothing seemed to make sense anymore. The only thing he hadn't been surprised about today had been that Batman was already aware of his real identity. Wallace West. Wally to his friends and family, and now, to the other League members as well. He had to admit, though, that the revelation had brought about one good thing for today – Diana had ruffled his hair, her soft touch a caress that still lingered on his scalp. What he wouldn't give for a woman like that. Standoffish, sure, but still, a total babe. Wonder Babe, in fact.

He sighed, letting his thoughts drift to Diana and the fact that she had touched him…

_J'onn/Clark_

"You seem unsurprised to find out that Bruce Wayne and Batman are indeed the same person," J'onn stated quietly to Clark Kent as they walked down the sidewalk, having dispersed with the photographic equipment and reporters tools that had helped their friends escape. J'onn had always been aware of the fact that his friends, his new family, had identities outside those of the superhero, but he hadn't wanted to pry, hadn't wanted to invade their privacy and discover those identities for himself. Superman had chosen to reveal his alter ego, Clark Kent, and J'onn had been grateful for that display of trust between the two men. Christmas had been a time of almost _magic_ for him. He had enjoyed the short time outside the Watchtower, enjoyed the Kents' hospitality and welcoming, being unused to going about in the world he now called home. So many people viewed him only as an alien and his telepathic abilities sometimes made it difficult to simply be, to simply exist as others did on Earth.

But Christmas had been a special time for all of them. He had seen that John and Shayera had grown closer and rejoiced in the fact that one of the other lost souls in the group was finding a mate in the Green Lantern, a man whom she could rely on and care for, that she was trying to move past Thanagar and into the present, not the past. J'onn knew how hard that could be, how very difficult to face the past and try to let it go so that the future wouldn't be hindered by what had been, but blessed and experienced to the fullest.

Today, however, had brought revelations for him as well and he was saddened to realize that things had changed so greatly over the course of the past few days, ever since the Thanagarians had arrived. Shayera was no longer a part of the group, a traitor of sorts to their cause and their mission, and more importantly, a friend they'd lost, a vital piece of the Justice League. They had each learned a hard lesson about trust, and about friendship, but the remaining six members were more of a team now than they had ever been before.

Small miracles did indeed happen.

Looking over at Clark, his glasses slightly askew and his hair rumpled, J'onn allowed his severe expression to ease as he noticed the thoughtful expression on his friend's face as well. They continued walking for a few moments and then Clark spoke. "Bruce and I, well, let's just say we go back a ways."

J'onn accepted that answer with a small nod, the two men walking down the street in the darkness, towards the city of Gotham and hopefully, sanctuary.

_Bruce/Diana_

Deciding that perhaps their best ploy was to act as their real selves, in a way at least, Diana quickly moved forward out of the alley, catching Bruce's hand and giving it a small squeeze before lacing her fingers with his. Giving him a loving smile, she leaned into him, a loving gesture, as she murmured, "Just act naturally – just Bruce and Diana, remember?"

He tensed for a moment before letting his fingers relax in her grip, pulling her in closer and rubbing his chin against her hair as they strode down the streets, surrounded by hawk soldiers and the darkness echoing around them. Even the situation couldn't disguise the true affection between the two superheroes – it wasn't an act, but simply an extension of their feelings for one another, that ease and trust which had been building since the inception of their relationship. It wasn't difficult to feign something that was simply inside of you, there for the world to see, regardless of the fact that they normally had to hide it. Today, right now, they weren't Batman and Wonder Woman, they were just, as Diana had said, Bruce and Diana, lovers out for a quiet stroll in the evening hours, watching the stars and enjoying one another.

"Remind me to thank that restaurant owner when this is all said and done," Bruce murmured, glancing around him at the multitude of hawks that littered the streets. It seemed that they had truly infested the city, taking over every square inch in their search for the Justice League and their overthrow of the planet in favor of their martial law.

"Thank him how?" Diana asked, taking a moment to look up at the sky and wonder how the gods had allowed this situation with the Thanagarians to come about. Whenever things seemed impossible, she always took comfort in the stars, in the lights that seemed to reflect the constellations from her past, from her heritage, now made into heavenly orbs in the eyes of the rest of Earth. Now, the stars were out, but she could barely see them through the Thanagarian soldiers dominating the skyline. It angered her that they had been able to take over so easily, that she was so helpless in this situation.

Still, she thought, glancing at the man beside her, things could have been worse.

"I've always found cash to be an adequate thank you," Bruce said on purpose, looking over for her reaction, pleased when a fire lit in her eyes and he could see her warrior spirit returning to the forefront.

"Cash? Really, Bruce, couldn't you put some thought into it?" she asked with a disapproving glance at him, irritated that he thought he could thank the man who had saved him with little more than monetary gains.

And so, they began to bicker back and forth about proper gifts as they wandered closer and closer to Gotham, Diana's fiery spirit aroused and Bruce enjoying the challenge of irritating Diana, taking heart in the sparkle in her eyes. In addition, it also took both of their minds off of the Thanagarians surrounding them, even though each of them was still aware that one false move, one wrong step and they would find themselves discovered and uncovered yet again.

And so, they kept up their banter as they walked through the darkness, hands still linked, and minds wondering how they, and the League, would survive not only this invasion, but this betrayal. Glancing around, Bruce noticed that few, if any, hawk soldiers were paying attention to the couple fondly bickering and obviously loving, and decided to take a little chance. He reached into the back pocket of his pants, pulling out a small amount of cash that he had retrieved from his utility belt and hailing a taxi cab.

Within seconds, they were dashing towards Gotham in the back seat of a cab, each of them glad that they were practically within breathing room of their destination. They sat quietly, taking comfort in the presence of the other and wondering what tonight, what tomorrow would bring. Would the League find a way to discover the true intentions of the Thanagarians or was their planet finally in a kind of trouble that they couldn't work their way out of? It was a heady and worrisome thought that crossed the mind of every Justice Leaguer that night.

Arriving at Wayne Manor, Bruce crossed the threshold to a feeling of relief, one that he hadn't allowed himself to feel in a long time, ever since that day long ago in Gorilla City. He warned Alfred of the imminent arrival of the other four and led Diana downstairs into the Bat-cave for a few moments of peace and respite before the others managed to find their way to Gotham in whatever manner they had found.

Pulling her into his arms, he rested his chin on the top of her head, enjoying the feel of her body against his and wondering when, if ever, they'd get the chance to do this again. The odds certainly were against them, but he knew that each of them would fight as hard as they could, even to the death, in order to defeat the Thanagarians and return Earth to the way that it had been before their arrival.

It was simply who they were, at the very heart of them.

Drawing back, he leaned down and gently placed a kiss on her lips, feeling the texture and the softness of her mouth, the way that she eagerly rose to meet him, enjoying the feelings of love and lust that rose between them. Tamping down the emotion, he pulled back, meeting her eyes and softly murmuring, "Whatever happens…"

"Bruce, we will find a way to win this, to emerge as the victors. The gods are on our side," she said proudly, her eyes blazing with determination and a fierce courage.

While he didn't believe in her gods, he did believe that they could find a way to win, ultimately, but he was unsure of what causalities there would be, what consequences there would be to what they were about to face from the Thanagarian armada, just the six of them. The odds were long and his hope was slim, as always.

Staring into her eyes, the blue fired with a mixture of love and ferocity, he couldn't help but let one end of his lips curl up, wondering how they had ended up together, the princess and the knight, the intensely determined warrior and the stoic, analytical detective. They were a strange combination, a mixture of opposites that somehow seemed to attract and defy all odds, all concepts of what should work.

Gripping him tightly around the upper arms, she pulled him forward, her lips meeting his in a passionate kiss as they allowed the emotions to flow between them, as they took just a few more minutes to be nothing more than Bruce and Diana before donning Wonder Woman and Batman once again.

_**Next chapter: Redemption Day – Shayera chooses redemption in the eyes of the Justice League…**_

_**Please review!**_

_To reviewer **Lauren** – Thanks for the review and I hope you liked this chapter too! Not one of my best, but I was a bit rushed…_

_To reviewer **SSJO4 Mewtwo** – You're right, more BMWW moments! I hope you liked the chapter and that I did justice to everyone. Little concerned that it was just average, but hopefully it wasn't awful!_

_To reviewer **Dihcar** – I agree with you 100. I never understood Superman and Wonder Woman. She's not going to fall for a pretty face or superficial strength; it's just not in her character. She wants a man who's strong inside and who's stronger than Batman? He's her equal in life, not just in strength. Superman wants someone who he can rescue and he's still just a farm boy from Kansas at heart. Bruce is much closer to a prince of Gotham and has that same almost royal background as the Princess. They just fit better together. Thanks for agreeing with me!_

_To reviewer **Ariana** – I hope you enjoyed more BMWW and that I did them justice! I certainly tried, and I guess I could give them another moment in the next chapter, if I choose to. Glad you liked the explanation – it's been in my head forever so it was nice to get that out. Thanks!_

_To reviewer **K – **I love Starcrossed too. It just has everything – drama, romance, betrayal, and all the hard choices. I tried to put in something about the restaurant owner, but I'm not sure I did exactly what you want. Hope you liked it and thanks for the review! Glad you love the stories!_

_To reviewer **T – **I'm running out of time before I have to run, so this will be pretty short, but thanks! I'm glad that you liked that chapter. Surprised that you liked it the best though. Any reason why? This one probably pales in comparison, but I'm just rushed! Maybe I'll change it around a little later…Thanks again!_


	12. Redemption Day

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_Once again, you all are amazing! I've gotten more reviews already than I ever expected and more than I've ever received for a story before. Your feedback has been amazing and I hope that you all know how much I appreciate you and what you do for me! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, because I have to warn you, it's only going to get worse from here…_

**Chapter 12, Redemption Day, by Sheryl Crow**

"_There is a train that's heading straight/to heaven's gate, to heaven's gate/and on the way, child and man/and woman wait, watch and wait/for redemption day"_

Breaking off the kiss, they stood in the darkness of the cave, reveling in the fact that they were alone, that they were safe, and that they were together, even for these few brief moments before someone else managed to show up, to find their way to the shelter and sanctuary of Wayne Manor.

Instead, they were seeking the security and shelter of each other, the solitude of just a few stolen moments in the arms of one another, each of them wondering what tonight, what tomorrow would bring. It was no longer about just the Thanagarian invasion, but the Thanagarian intentions – what were they planning and could the Justice League figure it out in time to dissolve their plans and reverse the damage that the hawk soldiers had already done, instilling fear and martial law on the world and taking away all rights and privileges, circumventing liberty and freedom.

And for that, there would be justice.

But right now was not about justice; it was about comfort as they faced the unknown. Later it would be just the six of them, but right now it was just about the two of them, about what they brought each other, about living in the moment.

His chin rested on her hair, one hand lingering at her waist and the other planted solidly on her back, gently maneuvering her closer to the heat and the warmth that he provided, while her arms lay loosely around his waist, fingers linked just as their bodies seemed to be. A part of them seemed to tell them to move, to walk away and get down to business, but neither seemed to be able to part from the other, preferring to remain exactly as they were for the time being. Reality would intrude soon enough.

"Hera, help us," Diana whispered softly and Bruce silently echoed that plea, hoping that Diana's gods would be listening, that they would hear their call for help and somehow turn the tables in their favor. The odds seemed so poor that if wishing on the gods he considered nothing more than mythological creatures would increase them, that's what he would do. They didn't know what to do to next, didn't know what the Thanagarians were planning and what they had in store for Earth. Therefore, stopping them was going to prove extremely difficult, if not impossible. All he knew for certain was that the "force field" they were building was obviously a key part of their plans. So he would focus his attention there first, to determine exactly how it could be implemented and what it could be used for, other than the protective force field they had been told that it was.

Gazing down into the eyes that shone blue like the waters surrounding Themyscira, Bruce couldn't help but believe that they would find a way to defeat the Thanagarians. They were simply too determined not to. And with this mission, their hearts were in it as well, and he knew that he would do anything possible in order to emerge victorious in the end, no matter the cost, no matter the circumstances. They had been betrayed by one of their own and Earth had subsequently been turned into a prison for its inhabitants – justice would be served.

His eyes narrowed and he could see the same anger, the same emotions overflowing in Diana as well, welling in her eyes as they gazed at one another. And somehow, victory seemed like a certainty in the face of such determination.

And the two warriors, eschewing romance, suddenly dove into one another, mouths pressing firmly against one another, lips hard, tongues thrusting and tangling, a meeting of bodies that had everything to do with lust and the harsh edge of anger and desperation running through each of them. Hands roughly skimmed underneath clothing to ruthlessly abrade the skin and for long minutes, there were no words, simply the heavy breathing and rough caresses that accompanied their desperate kisses, as if each of them knew that things were about to change. Finally regaining a bit of his control, Bruce began to soften the kiss, gentle his hands and lips, tenderly petting and caressing the smooth warm skin that lay underneath his fingertips, running the calloused fingers over breast and stomach, hip and nape, enjoying her quiet moans and soft gasps as sensations streaked through her body, unaware and uncaring of their surroundings, of the darkness and the humming of the computer, of the tiny shrieks of the bats high in the caves.

The others could have arrived at that moment and neither would have noticed, too caught up in each other and all that lay between them.

Slowly, the kisses began to ease and the emotions began to fade, to relax and ebb into something softer, sweeter, less urgent and uncompromising. Reality began to intercede and finally, their lips drew apart and Diana murmured something softly, barely above a whisper. And Bruce managed to catch her words, the quiet uttering of "I love you. Hera, protect this man," before their lips met one last time, clinging for mere seconds until Diana drew away, her eyes lit with both love and purpose. Looking directly at him, she stated firmly, borrowing a colloquialism she had obviously picked up from Flash, "I feel like kicking a little ass tonight." And with those words, she walked over to the computer, missing the hint of a smile that kicked up his lips and the echoing sentiment in his brain, closely followed by _Damn I love this woman_.

He watched her ponytail sway as she headed towards the computer, leaning on the console and placing her chin in her hands. He couldn't see her face, but somehow, knowing Diana as he did, he had the distinct feeling that it would be fired with determination and a tinge of anger. Shayera had abused their friendship and the hawk soldiers were abusing their world and Diana wasn't one to let such things escape retribution, something he wholeheartedly agreed with in this instance.

Bruce took a few moments to compose himself, to allow the emotions, the lust and the anger, the love and the hurt, to filter out of his mind, out of his body before he walked over to join Diana at the computer, taking a seat in the chair and immediately pulling up whatever he could find on the "force field" the Thanagarians were almost finished building. His face set, his eyebrows beetled in thought, he rubbed his chin with a finger and stared at the computer screen, barely noticing Diana, her eyes intent on the pictures flipping across the screen.

A soft grating sound reached their ears and they both turned to see a shaft of light filter through the cave as Alfred opened the door to the Bat-cave, escorting J'onn and Superman into the bowels of darkness underneath Wayne Manor, the bats softly screeching in irritation at the visitors until the door was once again shut, Alfred remaining upstairs. Superman, still in his Clark Kent disguise, and J'onn, still in human form, descended the stairs, walking briskly towards the duo by the computer. Clark had visited the cave previously, therefore, he took no opportunity to look around the fixture of Batman, but J'onn allowed his eyes to linger on the shelves of costumes lining one wall, the various Batman souvenirs and paraphernalia that littered the room, the huge supercomputer that dominated the main floor where Bruce and Diana stood.

"This is most impressive," he said calmly, his eyes meeting Bruce's before darting over to Diana. Although he could see few outward traces of the turbulent encounter between the two, Diana's mind was emitting emotions of all kinds and her thoughts centered on two people: Bruce and Shayera. Hearing Clark engage Bruce in conversation concerning the Thanagarian intentions, J'onn placed a hand softly on Diana's shoulder, and when she turned to look at him, her eyes glittering with rage and worry, he simply squeezed her shoulder a little tighter, telling her mentally, _Be strong, Princess. _And in return, she allowed her lips to curve, her emotional state easing a bit before she added, _Thank you, J'onn. You're a true friend._

He nodded slightly, removing his hand from Diana, and looking toward the stairs where he and Superman had entered only minutes before to see Alfred leading Flash and Green Lantern into the Bat-cave. Diana had turned her attention back to Bruce, but she and the others looked over at the arrivals as well, noticing that John still looked depressed and stoic, while Flash had regained his smile and jovial nature, grinning widely as they entered the cave.

"Your guests have arrived, sir," Alfred said regally, leading the new pair of arrivals down the stairs to join the others. In the midst of their appearance, no one heard the soft fluttering of wings deep within the caves; all were focused, various states of determination on the faces of the four who had been around the computer. "You're late," Bruce said brusquely.

"Nice to see you too," John said sarcastically, walking over to the computer to see what was on the screen. They all ignored Wally as his voice echoed around the cave, "Hey, that's a giant dinosaur!" With a big grin, he pointed to the dinosaur that sat on the floor, towering over the occupants of the cave and casting its shadow over where Wally stood.

"And I thought Batman was the detective," Alfred said dryly, his witticism barely registering to Wally, who was still gawking at the cave and all the objects inside it, still trying to comprehend that he was below Wayne Manor, that Bruce Wayne was really Batman. Alfred, footsteps barely making a sound, exited through the door to the Manor and left the Leaguers alone, hoping to get a little cleaning done in the living room before the day was done.

Sauntering over to stand with the other members of the Justice League, Wally heard J'onn say, "We were just speculating why the Thanagarians are really here."

"Obviously not to protect us," Clark added bitterly, crossing his arms across his chest in a sure sign of aggravation.

"But if the Gordanians aren't actually anywhere near us," Diana asked, looking down at Bruce who sat only inches from her, "why do they need to build that force field?" Her blue eyes were questioning and inquisitive as they gazed down at Bruce, hoping that he would have the answers to her question. He so often did.

"If it is a force field," Bruce said, placing enough emphasis on the words to tell the others that he doubted that the Thanagarians had truly been building any kind of force field in the first place.

"Then what is it?" John asked, obviously curious about what Bruce actually believed the Thanagarians had been building, what they had tricked the Justice League into helping them build in the desert.

From the depths of the cave came a voice that was achingly familiar to all of them, evoking shock and a lingering hurt, before reality intervened and fury set in. And out of the darkness, strode Shayera Hol, known to them all as Hawkgirl, the seventh member of their little group, former friend, former lover, and ultimately, nothing more than a betrayer and a liar. They all turned their heads to her voice, watched her emerge from the darkness with head held high, still garbed in her Thanagarian military armor and outfit, looking stoic but determined.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here," Clark said as he marched forward, taking off his glasses and tucking them in a pocket, face blazing with anger at what she had done, at what she was doing now.

"We should thank you," Diana said, her fists involuntarily forming fists at her side as she strode towards Shayera. "It saves us having to hunt you down."

Through all this, Shayera didn't move, just stood there, silent and poker-faced, a hint of regret brimming in her emerald eyes as she stared at those who had so short a time ago been friends, comrades, people who believed in her and trusted her to fight by their side. Now, it seemed she was nothing but a scab on the name of the Justice League. No matter, she told herself, it didn't matter now.

"I didn't come here to fight."

Five of the six other members of the League moved towards her, expressions of anger and hurt shining on each face. All but Bruce, who stayed seated in the chair, looking thoughtfully at Shayera from his position behind the others.

"I came to help."

At those words, Bruce stood, joining the ranks of the others squared off firmly against Shayera, against their former teammate, a solid wall of mistrust and the betrayed.

"Hawk soldiers all over the planet? Martial law? Us getting chased like dogs?" Wally's voice rose with each word, his usually buoyant expression replaced by hurt and resentment. "I don't think we can take much more of your help," he added bitterly, crossing his arms over his chest and breaking Shayera's heart with the motion.

"The situation is worse than you think," she said, pushing the emotions to the depths of her soul before continuing, "They're building a hyperspace bypass. When it's activated, it'll destroy the planet and everything on it." Striding forward, Flash moved aside, letting her pass between himself and J'onn in order to walk directly to Bruce. Looking up into his eyes, she regretted that her first time seeing the beautiful dark depths was when they flashed in anger aimed at her. Pushing aside that sad thought, she caught her breath, knowing that this was the end of her association with each of them, and handed Bruce a disk. "Here, this has all the information on the project. Believe me, I didn't know the magnitude of Talak's plans," she entreated Bruce, even knowing that his control would never allow him to reach out to her. And why should it?

She'd always felt a special connection with each of them. She'd respected Superman's abilities and need to try and please the world, loved Flash's sparkling sense of humor, his ebullient and optimistic nature, been grateful that Diana had accepted her into the world of sisterhood, secretly often worried about the naive princess and the feelings she suspected that Diana harbored for the Dark Knight. J'onn had been one like herself, someone who had known an alien world and had it stripped away from them. She had lost Thanagar to duty and he had lost Mars trying to do his duty to his family and planet. Shayera admired Bruce's analytical mind and insight into problems, his detective's mind often overlapping with her own, even if his approach was usually more patient and less willful than her own.

And John…

It didn't matter now. All that was gone, she realized, staring up into Bruce's unforgiving face and knowing that the rest of them would follow Bruce's example, just as they always had.

Appropriating the disk, he said coldly, "We'll check it out. There's the door." The line was so classic Batman, so harsh and to the point that for a moment, she couldn't breathe as tears clogged her throat, welling and filling her eyes as she watched him turn his back on her, figuratively and literally, the others following suit as they trailed him to the computer.

"Aren't you going to turn your back on me too?" Shayera asked John, knowing that he was still standing behind her, that he hadn't gone with the others and left her behind. It was a bittersweet moment when he answered, "Last time I let my guard down, you sucker punched me." Turning, she saw his arms crossed across his chest in a defensive pose, his face pissed and unwilling to hide it. Remembering when she had hit in the desert, she suddenly wished she could turn back the clock; that she knew before what she knew now. But wishes were for the weak and the foolish and Shayera couldn't afford to be either. "It wasn't personal," she told him, the suggestion of pleading in her voice.

"Keep telling yourself that," John said harshly as he stared at the woman that he had loved, and still couldn't help loving.

His words piercing her heart, she put out her arms a little to her sides, almost in a gesture of supplication, and sadness filled her voice, "I did what I thought was right then." She walked to him, holding out a palm to show his power ring rested within. "And that's what I'm doing now."

With a surprised look, he stared at it for a moment, then slowly snatched it out of her hand, his face again turning to rage as he remembered all that she had put him, put them, put Earth, through these past few days. And as the weight left her palm, she took off, soaring into the caves without another word, not seeing the question in his gaze as he watched her.

**_Next chapter: (I believe) We're Not Gonna Take It – the Thanagarians invade Wayne Manor…_**

_**Please review! **Also, for those of you who are unaware, I've finally managed to foray into the DC Comics Superheroes section of this site, posting a BMWW story there called Come Cryin' To Me. So, if you're interested, check it out._

_To Reviewer **T** – Glad you liked this last chapter. I just didn't feel that I did a good job writing it. I just pushed it out of my brain anyway. Glad it sounded okay and it was kinda fun writing Flash – I wish I had his sense of humor! And J'onn was surprisingly easy for me to write as well. Not sure I could delve into Superman's mind and GL's is just not a place to be right now. Glad you liked the BMWW moments and thanks for the review!_

_To Reviewer **Dihcar** – I once again agree with you completely. Superman is the public front of the League – the guy with the strength to save the world and the smile that works for the cameras; Batman is the true and private front of the League, leading them into battle and extricating them from any problems that they face, tactically and analytically. It works for these two men – neither could do the other's job well for long, if at all. No, I don't believe there really were many other little BMWW moments in the show after This Little Piggy, which always irritated me. They build it up and focus so much on it in that episode and then just drop it like it never happened. So I'm hoping to rectify what I see as their mistake. smiles Thank you for the review and you're right, they all respect Batman so much in part because he's only human and yet, so often, they couldn't win without him. That's why I love him._

_To Reviewer **Ariana** – Thank you! I really didn't like that last chapter for some reason. I didn't feel that it came together well and I was rushing to write it. Really not one of my personal favorites, but I'm glad that you thought I did them justice. I was worried about that. Aww, thank you! Well, even if I don't deserve the glowing reviews, I sure do like them! And thanks for saying I do deserve them. I hope I updated fast enough for you! We're getting to the hard and gritty part of the story…_

_To Reviewer **SSJO4 Mewtwo** – Thanks, as I said, I really didn't like that chapter. It's gratifying to know that everyone liked it anyway, regardless of my own opinion. Sometimes it seems that the chapters I like most, no one else does, and vice versa. So, have I converted you into a BMWW fan? I'm happy you understand now what most of us see in the pairing! It's somewhat of a matter of opposites – the darkness and the light, optimism and pessimism, headstrong/ready for action and patiently analytical. But it's also about their similarities – their incredibly stubborn wills, their devotion to their cause, their (almost) royal statures, and, in some ways, their families. She's the only woman strong and determined enough to bring him out of the darkness and he's just enough challenge for her. Her strength allows him to not have to worry so much about her and she sees him as a throwback to the stories that she heard of warriors long ago, like Hector, a man that she'd be proud to bring home to Mom. smiles Plus, who other than Diana would put up with a guy like Bruce for that long? Not that I don't love him, but he's right, he's got issues. As you can see, I've put a little thought into this, but mostly, they just fit. And can you imagine little Wonder-Bats flying around Wayne Manor? sighs Thanks for the review and I'm glad you see the beauty of the pairing now!_

_To Reviewer **Lauren** – Exactly! No Superman/Wonder Woman! It just makes no sense to me whatsoever. And I like Superman and Lois together. She's all the woman that he needs. BMWW! smiles Thanks for the review and glad I could help with your PDA question!_


	13. We're Not Gonna Take It

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_Ouch, my ego was deflated with the last chapter. Well, I hope you all liked it, even though the reviews were few and far between. I appreciate those of you who made the time. Here's the latest!_

_Un-betaed. If you see any problems, please let me via pm and I'll fix them. My beta's out of commission again!_

**Chapter 13, We're Not Gonna Take It, by Twisted Sister**

"_We're not gonna take it/No, we ain't gonna take it/We're not gonna take it anymore"_

Once Shayera had left and he no longer had to stare into the face that had such a short time ago filled him with such happiness, John was able to breathe again, able to remember that there were other things to focus on right now than himself. Absently, he rubbed a hand over his chest, feeling the ache from within, but walked over to the rest of the group, ignoring the feeling and concentrating instead on figuring out how to disarm the Thanagarians, how to prevent them from destroying the first world he'd ever known.

Locking away his emotions, he stared at the computer screen as Bruce popped in the disc. Automatically, the cause and effect of the hyperspace bypass appeared on the screen, showing Earth collapsing in on itself like an apple, shrinking from the stem to the bottom core until finally it disappeared completely, obliterating all life and all that stood in the way of the Thanagarians defeating the Gordanians. They all stared at it in horror, some wondering how they could possibly destroy it and its lethal potentiality and others already considering various actions as to how it could be ruined, no thoughts of the impossible lingering in their mind.

Sitting in the computer chair, Bruce stared at the screen as the finality of the hyperspace bypass was revealed, marveling at the technology and already plotting how to take it, and the Thanagarians, down. "Ingenious," he remarked, steepling his fingers as he considered the possibilities that lay before them, as a plan came to fruition in his mind, congealing and forming into action instead of the seed of a thought.

Just behind him and to his right, Diana stood, wondering how he could so dispassionately, so calmly dissect what they were seeing before them, the utter horror of the machine that the Thanagarians had brought with them, knowing that they would destroy all of Earth without a second thought in the name of war. A part of her wondered if Shayera's motives had been pure in bringing the disc, but she put that thought out of her mind, preferring instead to focus on the monster on the screen rather than the betrayer who had just left. In her mind, Shayera had done little to redeem herself, to renew herself as a friend, as a sister, in the eyes of the Amazon. She had deceived them. She had betrayed them. And so, she was stricken from the mind of Diana, pushed back to the deepest recesses in order to control her anger and properly concentrate her ire on the Thanagarians and their devious and horrible plan.

She looked over at Superman, she still wasn't ready to think of him as Clark, on her left as he stated sarcastically, "Yeah, I'm impressed." Taking off his glasses, he rubbed the lenses before tucking them in a pocket. With a hint of a smile and destruction in his eyes, he added, "Let's go wreck it." And Diana whole heartedly agreed with the sentiment, blood roaring in her ears and heart pumping with anticipation. But, she also knew that now was not the time for reckless actions, not when so many lives rested within their hands. They needed a plan, some course of action, and with that, as she heard John's question of how, of how they could get behind the force field, she, along with the others, turned to their unofficial leader, their general of tactics for guidance and answers.

"A force field controlled from the command ship," Bruce returned, as if that countered all the questions floating through their minds. Ignoring their unanswered queries, Bruce leaned forward, finger flying over the keyboard until a 3-D image emerged of the Thanagarian command ship, a small section on the bottom highlighted in red, obviously displaying where the force field generator was located in the mother ship. "Go shut it down," Bruce ordered, staring at the screen for a moment, lost in thought. Finally, he continued, his train of thought completed, "I'll take care of the generator."

"How?" Wally asked incredulously. "That thing's the size of a city. What are you going to do, throw a batarang at it?" He crossed his arms over his chest in disbelief, having finally gotten over his surprise that Bruce Wayne was Batman. Now he could see the Bat lurking under the handsome socialite face, just waiting to come out and abrade him for something else that he'd done. But, he took heart in the fact that he now knew that Batman was Batman, sometimes no matter what, and that he would come up with something, just like he always did.

With a determined look on his face, Bruce answered. "Something like that." He knew what he felt that he had to do and he didn't want anyone else trying to stop him, trying to steer him from his course of action. Therefore, he decided not to explain, hoping that they'd all simply chalk it up to his normal reticent demeanor. Rising from his chair, he didn't allow them any more time to wonder about what he was planning.

He walked purposely to the entrance to the Manor from the cave, but the sound of breaking glass and Alfred shouting, "Good heavens!" stopped him in his tracks. Quickly, he waved a hand back to the others, motioning them to silence, hearing the plodding footsteps that could only signify one thing: an invasion.

Bruce turned back to the others, his eyes immediately imparting the gravity of the situation and for once, not a word was spoken as they rushed off to the depths of the cave, feet padding along the cave floors, dispensing with their necessary clothes and quickly getting their costumes in order. A thought passed through all their minds – had Shayera engineered this attack?

But before they could answer that question, they heard the distinctive sounds of wood and glass being smashed and Bruce could picture in his mind the clock that led to the secret door in pieces on the ground, no impediment to the hawks' progress, to their ultimate destination: whenever the Justice League was hiding.

They stood in the darkness, the element of surprise being their only weapon left, even knowing that the Thanagarians knew of their whereabouts. But, Bruce mused; they knew that they were in the cave, not _where_ they were in the cave. A hissing spark and a shaft of red plasma beam hit the cave walls, lancing through the shadows just as it was the metal door that concealed the Bat-cave from the eyes of the hawk soldiers invading Wayne Manor. Finally, the door was cut away and the large metal piece fell to the floor with a loud bang that jolted through the darkness of the cave, alerting the League that the Thanagarians had arrived in his personal sanctuary.

He could hear their footsteps as they descended the stairs and then the now familiar voice of Lieutenant Kragger filled the stillness of the air, echoing through the depths of the cave. "Spread out. They're hiding here somewhere."

Adjusting his night vision just slightly, Bruce could make out at least a dozen soldiers, armed with cannons, swords, axes, and shields, all filing through the door and fanning out in the darkness of the cave. He signaled silently to John at his side and the Green Lantern immediately picked up on what Bruce was commanding. A green beam sliced through the air and through one of the hawk soldier's cannons, rendering it utterly useless.

"Uh-uh," John said firmly, his voice filling the cavernous space. "All through hiding." The hawk soldiers looked confused and bewildered at this turn of events, obviously having expected to have to hunt the members of the League down like animals as they lurked in the shadows, scared of the Thanagarians and their advanced weapons.

None of that mattered to the Justice League. It was time to take a stand, time to fight back and show these invaders that their lives were just as worthwhile, that they would fight just as hard for their own planet, to protect and defend it with their lives if necessary. They weren't going to stand for being treated like prisoners in their home, on their planet. Quite simply, they weren't going to take it anymore.

And as John emerged from the shadows, his eyes blazing like a fire of green, he outright stated his readiness to fight. "Come and get some!"

The soldiers immediately advanced, more than ready to take on one man, and from behind John, the other appeared in costume, fists at the ready and minds remembering what these creatures had done to them and what they would do to Earth if given the chance, if they didn't defeat them now.

John flew forward in the air, his energy ring filling the air with a stabbing green beam, knocking one of the soldiers to the floor as Diana roped one with her lasso, swinging him around until finally, his face met J'onn's fist, sending him falling to the floor, battered and unconscious.

Flash raced towards one of the soldiers, hitting him on the face and knocking him to the ground with the force of speed behind his punch. One of the hawks hefts his plasma cannon onto his shoulder, taking aim as Flash dashed around the room, but Superman, with quiet rage, took the weapon between his fists, crunching it in the hawk's hands, causing screams of agony to race through his body, wings feathering as the pain rammed through his system.

"Let's use our inside voice," Superman said calmly but sarcastically, punching the soldier into the depths of the cave where his flight was halted by a stalactite hanging from the ceiling. With a jagged break, the stalactite fell, landing on top of the injured Thanagarian and emitting a cloud of dust and debris as it crashed.

Flash, meanwhile, was dodging the beam from yet another plasma cannon wielding Thanagarian. In the hawk soldier's haste and fury to catch Flash, the beam lanced through several of the trophy cases whose pedestals were housed on the floor of the Bat-cave, dropping the infamous Ventriloquist's doll to the floor in a fall of wood, glass, and dummy. Coming to a halt in front of two of the hawks, Flash began to whip his arms like a whirlwind, creating a funnel of wind that blew the soldiers off their feet, along with their weapons, until they crashed into the giant penny. Sliding to the ground, the Thanagarians moaned, but their ordeal was not over yet. Amidst their groans of pain, the penny began to topple, finally coming to a halt after crushing the horrified hawk soldiers beneath its weight. Dashing over in a burst of speed, Flash stopped on top of the penny, his trademark goofy grin on his face as he jokingly said, "Tails, I win!"

In another corner of the cave, Batman dodged, bobbing and weaving, as one of the soldiers tried to shoot him with a cannon blast, leaping into the air and kicking the Thanagarian in the face, pushing him to the ground. Immediately, he looked up to see three more headed his way in the air and, reaching into his utility belt, he pulled out three special batarangs, flinging them into the air. The soldiers looked down in confusion as one batarang attached itself to each chest with a flickering, pulsating red light, illuminating them in the darkness. With derision, one of the soldiers looked at Batman, his voice filled with disdain as he stated, "Your weapons are pitiful."

Standing there casually, muscles tense and prepared for action under the cover of his cloak, Batman merely responded with a quietly confident, "Wait for it." Within seconds, white beady eyes fill the shadowy obscurity behind him and, with piercing shrieks, hundreds of bats take to the air, attacking the three Thanagarians with teeth and claws, biting and scratching whatever flesh they can reach as Batman looks over, underestimated once again.

With a roar, Superman meets Kragger in the center of the cave floor, putting a hand to the Lieutenant's axe and halting mid-swing. With faces only inches apart, Superman swings his arm in a wide circle, keeping the axe in his fist and watching as Kragger goes flying, hitting one of the remaining trophy cases and tumbling to the ground. In a smooth movement, the Thanagarian rolls to his feet, picking up the gun that was in the case and eyeing Superman as he walks closer, unconcerned about the supposedly imminent danger. The Lieutenant aims the weapon directly at Superman's chest and fires, but with a deep breath, the hero in blue pushed all the air in his lungs out in Kragger's direction, freezing the Thanagarian with a horrified expression on his iced face.

Without a second glance at Kragger, Batman states, "Let's go."

As they descend to the lower floor via the main stairs, they see Alfred calmly cleaning the broken glass that litters the carpets and hardwood floors with a broom. A nearby trash can is half filled with debris and, noticing their arrival, the stoic butler tranquilly utters, "Mind the glass, sir."

Coming to a halt by the window the Thanagarians had entered through, cold air rushing through the living room from the broken glass, Batman looked at John, ready for the next phase of the mission, no matter what it meant for him to do. "I want you, Superman, and Wonder Woman to go to the command ship and shut down the force field."

He was careful not to look at Diana, knowing that she could read in his eyes the despair that laced his soul at what he was about to do, even knowing that it was right, even knowing that it was the only way. She had made him happy. He was going to break her heart.

"And the rest of us?" J'onn asked. Batman quickly swiped all thoughts of his plan from his mind, hoping that the Martian wouldn't be able to read some trace of it in his face and mentally investigate further. "You're going to help me retake the Watchtower."

Staring into J'onn's orange eyes, he didn't notice Flash's eyes go big and round. Speeding over in front of J'onn, the speedster exclaimed, "It's crawling with Thanagarian soldiers. How are you planning on getting inside?"

And, heart aching but mind determined, Batman said, pointing to the Thanagarian ship outside on the front lawn, "With that."

**_Next chapter: Untitled - Into the mind of Kragger and off to the Watchtower..._**

**_Please review! Seriously, what will it take for me to get you all to review?_**

**_I do have one little thing – when you all review, just because I'm nosy and curious, can you put where you're from? State, Country, Region, whatever – Just wondering how worldwide this story is and where my reviewers are from! I'll start – I'm a Marylander, just outside the Nation's Capital…_**

_To Reviewer **T** – Flash really does have the best sense of humor. He's so much fun. I'm glad you've liked these last few chapters and I really appreciate the reviews. Everyone should love BMWW moments, particularly if you're reading my work! I enjoy writing the tension and the emotion that's still between Hawkgirl and Green Lantern. You can't help but wish that things had turned out differently for this pair. (Hence, my Christmas fic. Hehe.)_

_To Reviewer **Dihcar** – I really appreciate the compliments. Nothing warms a writer's heart better than hearing that someone considers their writing superb and well-written. I'm trying to stay in canon as well. Hopefully it will continue! Thanks for the review!_

_To Reviewer **Awen** – I hope I updated quickly enough for you! I try to update quickly, but life is really getting in the way of my fun lately. I'm hoping (everyone hope with me) that my life gets back to normal, so I can update this at least every other day. Just a few chapters left! Well, quite a few, but still…Thanks!_

_To Reviewer **Lauren** – Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the scene between BMWW before everyone else arrived. It's going to be the last one for awhile. Honestly, there aren't too many more team moments for awhile, so I won't be able to play with BMWW's emotions around the team. But I will get to write them individually. That should be interesting._


	14. Out of My Head

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_Thanks for all the reviews! **Note** – Starting with this chapter and up until about Chapter 16, they're sort of entwined, action-wise, but I'm trying to take on one event at a time._

_The unbeta-ed version._

_Question – Do you all want a happy ending?_

**Chapter 14, Out of My Head, by Fastball**

"_Was I out of my head/Was I out of my mind/How could I have ever been so blind?/I was waiting for an indication/It was hard to find/Don't matter what I say/Only what I do/Never mean to do bad things to you"_

Without a second glance at Diana, Batman picked his way through the glass littered over the floor and made his way quietly to the front door, knowing that J'onn and Flash would be following him. He knew that he couldn't afford to turn around, that he couldn't look into those eyes and risk the possibility of her seeing what he was about to do, what he was about to chance in order to save the world. When he weighed one broken heart against the lives of billions of people, there was no choice for him, no second guessing. There was only one action and he was willing to take it, willing to do whatever it would take in order to defeat the Thanagarians and rid Earth of their toxic presence.

When he saw three figures take to the sky, their silhouettes the only thing that he could see against the night sky, he wanted to whisper something, anything that would give him benediction in Diana's eyes, that would help her to understand the price he was about to pay, but he couldn't do anything more than look longingly at the sky and square his shoulders, heavy with the burden of his plans.

He led the other two to the Thanagarian ship that rested on his front lawn, grateful that he lived far away from the prying eyes of neighbors and curiosity seekers, that no one would be wondering why their was an alien craft parked outside Wayne Manor. Walking up the gangplank, the three made their way to the control room that was located in the front of the ship, hopeful that J'onn would be able to recognize the language or something about the ship that would enable them to fly it, to use it in order to invade the Watchtower, to take the Thanagarians by surprise so that they would be allowed entry with no one the wiser.

J'onn sat down in the control seat, looking over the mechanics in front of him while Batman and Flash peered over his shoulder, wondering if this plan was going to grant them success or if there was going to have to be some other way to take back the Watchtower.

"Well?" Batman asked quietly. He, like J'onn, was staring at the machinery in front of them, hoping that something would be recognizable to the Martian. Flash was staring all around him, eyes taking in everything in his sights: staring out the window, looking around the cockpit area, fingers just itching to try something and see how this ship worked.

"I have no idea how to fly this vehicle," J'onn said soberly, still peering down at the machine, feeling Batman's presence just over his left shoulder and wondering what they could do next in order to invade the Watchtower and reclaim it.

"What's this do?" Flash asked curiously, finally laying his fingers on one of the buttons he so desperately wanted to touch and pressing it down. Less than a second later, a laser beam emanated from the front of the ship with a loud booming sound, light and smoke filling the night sky just before the beam hit the Manor, taking out one of the couches that previously had been lined against the window and almost killing Alfred as well. Luckily, the butler had walked to the side of the window just before the blast to get the broom so he could clean up the rest of the glass.

As Flash's eyes went big in horror, a sheepish expression quickly changing to one full of contrition as Batman leaned over, his teeth grating together and his head only inches from Flash's. "That's. Not. Helping," he gritted out through his clenched teeth, every line in his body showing his displeasure with Flash in that instance. The scarlet speedster just swallowed, looking up into the face of the angry Bat, realizing that he was only seconds away from potential death and wondering how he was going to escape this situation. Sure, he had speed, but Batman always seemed to have a few surprises up his sleeve that no one could predict. Certainly not Flash anyway.

And then J'onn diffused the situation by taking the heat off of Flash with his next words. "I'll need one of the hawk men."

Flash relaxed his body now that Batman was distracted and took advantage of said distraction by saying, "I got him" and racing into the Manor. He was back out in seconds with Lieutenant Kragger, the ice melting from his body from the speed that Flash was employing. Finally, Flash tossed the bound and dripping Thanagarian against the side of the ship, only feet from where J'onn and Batman stood. With a groan, the hawk soldier fell to the ground and, his face filled with contempt, he viciously bit out, "You think I'd tell you anything? I'd sooner choke on your bones."

Flash picked him up by the frontal armor, rearing back with his opposite fist as he said, "Okay by me. Start with these?"

But J'onn again stepped in, stalling Flash's action with a hand to his arm. With quiet command in his voice, he said, "We're running out of time. I'll take the information from him."

Flash quickly dropped his arm, turning to look at J'onn with one question on his mind, "I thought you couldn't read their minds?" Simultaneously, the two men turned to look at Lieutenant Kragger. The hawk was staring up at them, his face blank but for the lingering emotion of anger that sat on his lips.

But his expression grew horrified as he looked up into J'onn's face, the Martian's eyes glowing yellow with an intense blaze and as the Martian's words penetrated, the Thanagarian began to shake in fear and uneasiness.

"I'll just have to try a little harder." And with those words, the Martian Manhunter reached out his hands, shaped like claws and laid his hands on the Thanagarian's head, stepping into his mind in the search for answers.

_(Italics signify the inside of Kragger's Mind)_

_J'onn pried open the outskirts of the mind, ripping apart the seams that protected the Thanagarian and flying into the red filled space, lined with black synapses and nerve passages. Careful to avoid those, J'onn continued through the head of Lieutenant Kragger, bypassing pockets of information in his search for what he needed: the center of the brain, the ultimate well of knowledge. He looked left and right, wondering what traps lay within this mind and how he could overcome them, and finally, he reached the outside of his destination. He stopped on the almost concrete flooring, staring up at the two Thanagarians that guarded the center of the brain, standing tall and proud and upright against the door that would lead to what J'onn was looking for. _

_Flying forward, he pushed open the doors, landing just inside them. Behind him was a small set of stairs and surrounding him were pillars that reached to the ceiling. Straight ahead, he said a glowing light and he made his way there, slowly and patiently, always keeping on eye on what was around him, on what could, in the mind, become potential dangers if his intrusion was detected. _

_He had taken on a few steps when he felt a cold shadow falling on him from behind. Turning, he heard the screech of a hawk and saw, to his horror, the talons and the beak racing towards his skin, his body. With a cry of agony, he felt the razor sharp burn of talons against his cheek and flinched from the pain._

Standing beside J'onn's corporeal body, Batman and Flash watched in shock as J'onn let out a cry of pain, and long, painful scrapes welled blood down the side of his face. "J'onn!" Flash cried, reaching out a hand to the Martian, but J'onn never felt it.

_With shrieking cries, hundreds of hawks descended from the ceiling, all heading towards J'onn in order to stop him from reaching the center of the Thanagarian's brain. With a mighty thrust, J'onn threw several of the hawks away from him and began to fly through the air, striving to reach his destination before he reached his death._

As Flash removed his hand from the Martian's shoulder, to his horror, he jumped back as he saw scratch marks appear on J'onn's back, ragged marks that lanced the skin and tore away his cape. His arms were soon covered in the marks and all Batman and Flash could do was watch their friend suffer through this torture, knowing that this was the only way that they would be able to extract the necessary information from Lieutenant Kragger in time.

_Still, he persevered, covering his face and pushing himself onward until he came to a small bowl of flames that rested on a pedestal high atop a pillar of stairs. Stopping at the top, J'onn looked at the fire for a second and, still continuing to feel scratches from the hawk talons, he rested his hands along the bowl of flames. Smoke wafted out from under his hands, but, working through the pain, J'onn pushed with everything that he had left in him, finally tilting over the bowl with an explosion of fire that quickly spread through the central room of the brain and the hawks disappeared with howling screeches._

A small golden blaze appeared in the dazed eyes of Lieutenant Kragger and he screamed in anger as his brain was overtaken by the Martian, as J'onn returned to his own body and throw the Thanagarian away in disgust, having received the answers to the questions that he had sought in his mental journey.

With a cry, J'onn stumbled back, and quickly, Batman moved to halt his fall, stepping behind his friend, eyes lit with concern, but J'onn took a few deep breaths, placing his hand to his head and steadying himself. The scratches and talon marks disappeared from J'onn's body and he looked into the anxious faces of his friends, quietly stating, "I have what we need." Without another word, the three boarded the ship and took off for the Watchtower.

Alfred walked out from the Manor, peering at the lifeless Thanagarian that Batman and the others had left on the lawn, sniffing with disdain before adding, condescension ripe in his voice, "I've asked Master Bruce to refrain from leaving trash in the yard."

As the Thanagarian craft neared the Watchtower, Batman and Flash moved to the back quarters and out of sight in case someone checked to ensure that it was indeed Lieutenant Kragger docking in the station. J'onn, using his transformation abilities, could pass as the Thanagarian without problem, and seconds after he altered his appearance, he pressed down on the communication button.

In Kragger's voice he stated, "Shuttle Ellipson 16 requesting entry. Confirm docking code."

"Docking code confirmed. You are cleared to come aboard."

And with those words, the doors to the landing bay of the Watchtower opened up and smoothly, J'onn flew the ship inside, putting in down for landing just where they would typically have parked the Javelin.

He emerged to find two hawk soldiers waiting to greet him. "We weren't expecting you, sir."

With a stern face, he answered their unspoken question, "There's been a change in plans."

And within seconds, where Lieutenant Kragger had been, there now stood a fearsome green monster with horns, bared teeth, muscled spiked shoulders, and glowing orange eyes that immediately attacked the two soldiers, taking them completely by surprise and knocking them clean to the other side of the room.

A third soldier entered the room and, without delay, hefted his plasma gun onto his shoulder, aiming for J'onn, but a batarang sliced through the air and knocked the gun out of the soldier's hands. He looked up in surprise to see Batman racing out of the ship and seconds later, a fist fitted with brass knuckles struck him to the ground with a groan.

A horde of at least a dozen Thanagarian soldiers began to fill the room from the innards of the Watchtower, weapons armed and raised to defend the area from the three intruders. Flash raced forward, punching one to his knees and plowing through several others, surprising them with the speed and the solidity of his punches. Others took off towards J'onn, but in his present form, he easily defeated them, throwing blow after blow, each decimating the hawk soldier attacking him.

Within minutes, between the three men with speedy fists, brass knuckles, and Martian strength, the hawk soldiers had stopped their flood through the doors to defend the Watchtower. Instead, they lay like pieces of trash on the floor, scattered in heaps, grunts and groans still echoing through the room.

J'onn transformed back in his Martian Manhunter form again as Flash said with an engaging smile, "Okay, the Watchtower is ours again." Tossing a Thanagarian to the side, J'onn and Flash made their way to where Batman stood at one of the computers, looking at the coordinates for where the strike would have to occur in order to devastate the plans of the Thanagarians.

Flash sped over to Batman's side, asking, "So where's your secret weapon?"

And without even turning around, Batman calmly, with no emotion in his voice, answered, "You're standing on it."

Flash looked surprised for a second, then continued his line of questioning. "Wait, you mean we're gonna…"

But Batman had no patience for interference in that moment, not wanting either of the other two men with him to notice that he couldn't even look at them, that he couldn't really explain to them what he was planning to do. Especially with a telepath accompanying him.

"…take the Watchtower out of orbit and drop it right on top their little science project," he told them stoically. "Get them into the escape pods," he added, motioning to one of the Thanagarians with his foot.

With a few flicks of his fingers, Batman initiated the de-orbiting process through the computer, the Watchtower thrusters began to fire and their former home in the sky began to descend towards Earth. Refusing to allow himself any second thoughts, he began to help Flash and J'onn place the bodies of the hawk soldiers into the escape pods until finally, they reached the last ones.

"Is that the last of them?" J'onn queried.

Briskly rubbing his hands together, Flash, with a small smile, replied, "Yeah, the Watchtower should be pest-free."

Neither of them noticed that Batman was slowly and carefully edging his way out of the escape pod and back into the body of the Watchtower. Giving them one last glance, he pressed the launch button, sending the escape pod floating back towards Earth as he stated, "Good."

"Hey!" Flash exclaimed, turning around to see Batman's dark figure standing in the Watchtower and wondering what in the heck was going on.

"What are you doing?" J'onn asked hurriedly as both he and Flash raced to the escape pod window, staring longingly and with questions in their eyes back at their friend, their colleague, one of them: a hero.

"I can't risk having the Watchtower burn up on re-entry. I'll have to guide it in manually."

And, as J'onn and Flash's shocked faced drifted further and further away, he added softly but firmly, "Gentleman, it's been an honor."

"J'onn," he added mentally to the Martian, "Tell Diana...Tell her goodbye."

**_Next chapter: Welcome to the Jungle – Shutting down the force field…_**

**_Please review! Question – Do you want a happy ending (BMWW)? It will require a few extra chapters in the story, so let me know!_**

**_I do have one little thing – if you haven't already, when you review, just because I'm curious, can you put where you're from? State, Country, Region, whatever – Just wondering how worldwide this story is and where my reviewers are from! I'll start – I'm a Marylander, just outside the Nation's Capital in the US of A…_**

_To Reviewer **T** – Second guess: Canada. To be honest, normally I don't notice little things like humor versus humour, but when you pointed it out, I went back and looked. So that's my next guess. You are going to tell me eventually, right? Wally is always so hilarious – well, not so much in this chapter. Sad situation though. Please, if I owned Justice League, my stories would be reality! And that would be that. And actually, you're the second person to mention Alfred, but he really was in the episode in that scene. He's so great. I do try and update as often as possible! So far, so good._

_To Reviewer **NobodyImportant** – I gotta say, your name makes me sad! And I'm sure that it's not true. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story and I really appreciate the review. The lines you mentioned were some of my favorites too – he's in such a difficult position. Poland, huh? Very cool. I've never been to Europe before…_

_To Reviewer **ButterflyV** – Thanks! I'm so glad that you like it! I've never thought that Diana found men loathsome and contemptuous. I think that she wasn't sure of their virtues when she first arrived in Man's World, but I also think that in time, particularly after the episode Fury, that she understood that men are like women – there's some good and some bad. I think that in particular she looked at Batman differently after the episode – that he would put himself at risk to save others regardless of the personal cost. And you're right – it's ironic that Diana is taught not to trust men and yet, a woman betrays the League. I think that in some ways, Shayera was the last person Diana expected to turn against them and that's why she was so hurt that Shayera did betray them._

_To Reviewer **Lauren** – Burgundy, France, home of the wines. Yum. If you all, my wonderful readers, decide to have a happy ending to this story, then someone from the team will find out in this story that BMWW have a secret relationship. Other than that, I don't plan to spend much time dealing with their relationship and what the team may or may not know. Either way, thanks for the review!_

_To Reviewer **SSJO4 Mewtwo – **Don't worry about reviewing the last chapter! People in the hospital are way more important than my little story. Life happens to all of sometimes. I always liked the idea of Clark with Lois. I think that's part of the reason I dislike him and Diana together. He and Lois just work well together – he needs to be the hero and she lets him; he needs to be an ordinary guy and she lets him do that too. I'm glad that I've converted you! As you can tell, I love BMWW together…And I did put Clark with Lois in my Christmas JL fic!_


	15. Welcome to the Jungle

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_Thanks for all the reviews! Note – Including this chapter and up until the next chapter, they're sort of entwined, action-wise, but I'm trying to take on one event at a time._

_Also, I guess I should have clarified a little. Either way, I was probably going for the happy ending, I just wasn't sure whether to make the extra chapters another story or to include the happy ending stuff in this story. So, it looks like there will be a happy ending and it will take place in this story! Will eventually include the episode Initiation, the first of JLU, as well. So, all in all, about 25 chapters we're shooting for now. Enjoy! You asked for it! (This is now officially my longest story!)_

_The unbeta-ed version. PM or email me with any mistakes. Thanks._

**Chapter 15, Welcome to the Jungle, by Guns 'n' Roses**

"_Welcome to the jungle/Watch it bring you to your knees, knees/In the jungle/Watch it bring you to your/It's gonna bring you down-HA!"_

Coming to a halt by the window the Thanagarians had entered through, cold air rushing through the living room from the broken glass, Batman looked at John, ready for the next phase of the mission, no matter what it meant for him to do. "I want you, Superman, and Wonder Woman to go to the command ship and shut down the force field."

He was careful not to look at Diana, knowing that she could read in his eyes the despair that laced his soul at what he was about to do, even knowing that it was right, even knowing that it was the only way. She had made him happy. He was going to break her heart.

"And the rest of us?" J'onn asked. Batman quickly swiped all thoughts of his plan from his mind, hoping that the Martian wouldn't be able to read some trace of it in his face and mentally investigate further. "You're going to help me retake the Watchtower."

Staring into J'onn's orange eyes, he didn't notice Flash's eyes go big and round. Speeding over in front of J'onn, the speedster exclaimed, "It's crawling with Thanagarian soldiers. How are you planning on getting inside?"

And, heart aching but mind determined, Batman said, pointing to the Thanagarian ship outside on the front lawn, "With that."

Without another word, the group of six all looked out the window, through the mire of broken glass, at the ship parked just outside Wayne Manor. It was simple enough to deduce how Bruce would use it in order to gain entry, particularly since he had decided to take J'onn along on his mission. And so, Superman looked at Bruce for a second, anticipation of the fight to come in his eyes as he said, "Good luck."

He and Green Lantern turned immediately towards the window, ready to take flight, but Diana hesitated a moment. She had seen something on Bruce's face, in his eyes, that told her to question his motives, to take a second and try and think this through. Staring at him for a second, she saw something cross his expression, something she almost thought was guilt, but whatever it was, she simply didn't have time to wonder about it, knowing that the world was in imminent danger.

And so, giving him once last glance, she took out the window after her friends and immediately put him out of her mind, knowing that distracts weren't what she needed right now. A fight was on the horizon, she knew that, and now, without Bruce on her mind, she could feel the anticipation pumping through her blood, the strength of the Amazons pouring into her system as they made their way through the sky towards the Thanagarian mother ship to shut down the force field.

They raced through the night air towards the ship, feeling the wind whip over them as they continued on their collision course with danger, knowing that there was little other option if they truly wanted to save the world.

Remembering the little girl who had cried out for her mother, the bus driver that Bruce had once saved, and the lost little girl that J'onn had found so many months ago, her fists began to clench and Diana's heart began to take pleasure from what would come. Those children deserved life and their world and she would see to it that the Thanagarians' plot was overthrown and the hawks' reign of terror ended, no matter how hard she had to fight.

Looking at her two comrades, she had the distinct feeling that both of them felt the same way: this fight was personal. For John, it was about Shayera and what she had done, whether willingly or unwillingly, and the hurt she had bestowed on his heart, the sadness that still lingered in his angry face. For Superman, it was about betrayal and a broken trust. He had thought that Shayera was honorable and to learn otherwise was simply devastating to a man such as himself. He would take it to heart and wonder where he had gone wrong, where the bonds of friendship had collapsed. He was sometimes the emotional heart of the team that Bruce simply couldn't be. Bruce would analyze and dissect and deal with things coldly and logically, eschewing his feelings if at all possible.

In her mind floated pictures of all the people that they had saved over the years and as the Thanagarian mother ship came into view, she used those faces to fuel her anger, to give herself yet another reason to make sure that today was about victory. She thought about her team and all they had come to mean to her. And as she prepared mentally for battle, the last face she saw was Bruce's.

Upon closer view, the three could see that tiny one-man Thanagarian ships were pouring out of the mother ship in droves, their presence littering the sky, drowning out the stars and heading straight for them.

"Pretty bad odds," Diana remarked casually, as if they were headed to lunch at the Watchtower rather than a battle with thousands of hawk soldiers. Her blue eyes blazed with the fires of expectation and her smile said that she was ready and waiting, everything about her detailing the words: Bring it on.

"Yeah," Superman said from his position next to her. Narrowing his dark eyes, he looked ahead at the people that had helped a friend to betray him, at the people that were trying to take over the only home that he had really known and his blood lit with the cry of battle. "They don't stand a chance."

Without pause, they continued through the sky, Diana putting her fists in front of her and simply racing forward, using her strength and her metal bracelets in order to wipe out every ship she came in contact with, lighting up the harbor of the sky with smoke and the flame of their destruction.

Green Lantern used his power ring in order to create tens of little laser beams, taking out ships dozens at a time while Superman found that the power of his fists was more than enough to do the job, obliterating ship after ship with the thrusts of his hands.

Darting lasers from his eyes, he continued to take out the ships as fast as they could come at him.

Diana begun to use a more hands on method: reaching into the hull of one of the ships and yanking out the laser gun that they were trying to employ on the Justice League. She hefted it like a cannon and calmly and coolly began to dispatch every ship within sight. She could see now how Superman would appreciate his laser vision and how immensely handy it could come in while trying to defeat villains.

John pooled the force of his power, creating an enormous kind of tool and digging into the side of the mother ship, tunneling through and immediately snatching two of the soldiers with fists made from his ring as he entered the ship, looking around for the room where the force field generator was kept.

Outside, Superman grasped one of the ships in his hands and hurled it mightily towards the glass front of the mother ship, cracking the glass and sending tens of Thanagarians into panic mode, fear and escape first on their minds.

Diana immediately let go of the cannon and sped through the air, pushing the ship lodged in the front of the mother ship into the empty space all the soldiers had vacated, causing a powerful explosion.

From her position inside her cell, Shayera felt the ship beneath her quake and shudder, rolling her sideways as she heard the commotion outside, the sounds of running and she could almost smell the fear and confusion in the air. She saw three soldiers run by, their maces at the ready, and immediately heard a metallic clanging sound, just before their bodies were tossed back from whence they came.

And then a familiar face appeared before her cell, the blue eyes wreathed in anger and the expression forbidding. Holding her breath, Shayera looked at Diana, her former friend and teammate and wondered if she would ever find retribution in the eyes of the Justice League, if she would ever be forgiven for taking the actions that she had thought were right. She had been labeled a traitor by both sides, but she knew in her heart that she was doing the right thing – that the lives of Earth were not worth any more or less than the lives of the Thanagarians. Even being stripped of her title, of her worth on Thanagar, she still knew that ultimately, she had acted with honor, with thought for innocent lives, no matter what anyone else thought.

She just wished that she felt less alone.

And, staring into Diana's hostile face, she couldn't see any trace of the friendship they'd once shared, of the bonds of sisterhood that Diana had so often espoused. She saw contempt.

"I should leave you to burn," the Amazon stated, her face blazing in anger but her blue eyes were colder than Shayera could ever remember seeing them. She wondered, almost dispassionately, whether or not she would be left to die, knowing that what she read on Diana's face was nothing less than the truth. It wasn't in Diana's nature to forgive and forget, it wasn't in her to let a traitor go free.

And yet, with one swing of the axe, she did. And then she left, no looking back, no regrets.

_**Next chapter: One Song Glory - Batman goes down with the Watchtower...**_

_**Please review! **_

_**Pretty please - make it your preemptive Christmas present to me! I'm going to shoot for 20 reviews and hope that you all come through for me!**_

_To Reviewer **Anonymous** – Thanks! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story so far and I appreciate the compliments. I hope that you continue to like it and that you enjoy the happy ending!_

_To Reviewer **DarkFairy** – It will be a happy ending, I promise! But I can also say that it'll take awhile to get there. Probably 10 more chapters til the end of this thing. Whew! That seems like forever, but I know I'll be sorry to see it end!_

_To Reviewer **T** – Fourth guess: New Zealand. Honestly? I got no clue! I'm just guessing here. See, I'm usually a happy ending girl. Or at least some sort of conclusion girl. I need closure. And in the case of BMWW, I'll give you the happy ending! And I'll try not to rush it. If I owned JL, I wouldn't rush them into anything either. They're both too stubborn by nature and Bruce has been hurt in the past by relationships. So it's slow and steady wins the race. I just had to add Alfred – he makes everything just a little better with his accent and his witty comments. I love him! I'm trying to keep the updates coming! Hopefully two of them this week, but we'll see!_

_To Reviewer **H Ripley** – Thank you for honoring me with your first ever review! And let me just say that there's no shame in being a little "older". I myself am 24 and have no children, so I don't even have that excuse! I just love this show. And there's nothing wrong with that. As you can tell, BMWW are my favorite relationship too and I always thought that HGGL should have worked out in the end. Irritated me that no couples ever really found an ending of any sort on the show. I'm glad that you find my stories interesting and I appreciate that you're reading them. I've been watching a few of the Batman TAS shows now and I really liked some of them. I just finished the one with his "wife", the plant known as Susan. Hehe. I agree that Wonder Woman just works well with Batman – for so many reasons! Thanks for coming forward and reviewing!_

_To Reviewer **ButterflyV** – No, I never thought you meant it in the extreme! I know what you mean though – the Amazons aren't particularly fond of men, to put it mildly, and yet, Shayera is a betrayer, proving that women are no better. I love the episode Fury because it shows that men have their good sides too and I think Diana realizes that at that time. Just like now she sees that women aren't all her sisters. Glad you like the story so far!_

_To Reviewer **Lauren** – I like knowing where people come from – it's interesting to see that people from all over the world are reading my stories and enjoying them. Very exciting. I had a little wine and cheese night the other night and I rather enjoyed that as well. Happy ending it will be. You're right – BMWW forever!_

_To Reviewer **Darkie – **Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad that you love the story, especially since I enjoy writing it. And I appreciate your compliments! A little BMWW is always a silver lining to whatever story it happens to be. (smiles) Can you tell I love them? And now you've got me scared! No Pain! Happy ending, I promise! But it'll take a few more chapters…Merry Christmas to you too! And another European…this is so cool…My fic is slowly taking over Europe! Hehe._

_To Reviewer **Dihcar** – I agree completely. It really irritated me that no one on the show seemed to get a conclusion ending. It was like they wrote This Little Piggy and then said, Oh, well, we're done with them. MORE! More, I say! Happy ending it is! Belgium? Wow, I have a pretty good European following. That's so cool…(smiling to self)_


	16. One Song Glory

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_Thanks for all the reviews! _

_Remember – 25 chapters. So a few more to go 'til the end._

_Thank you DWParsnip for being my beta for this chapter!_

**Chapter 16, One Song Glory, from Rent**

"_One song glory/One song before I go/Glory/One song to leave behind…One song/One last refrain…One song before the sun sets…Time flies/time dies! Glory! One blaze of Glory!"_

Giving them one last glance, Batman pressed the launch button, sending the escape pod floating back towards Earth as he stated, "Good."

"Hey!" Flash exclaimed, turning around to see Batman's dark figure standing in the Watchtower and wondering what in the heck was going on.

"What are you doing?" J'onn asked hurriedly as both he and Flash raced to the escape pod window, staring longingly and with questions in their eyes back at their friend, their colleague, one of them: a hero.

"I can't risk having the Watchtower burn up on re-entry. I'll have to guide it in manually."

And, as J'onn and Flash's shocked faced drifted further and further away, he added softly but firmly, "Gentleman, it's been an honor."

"J'onn," he added mentally to the Martian, "Tell Diana...Tell her goodbye."

And with those words, he drew a deep breath and deliberately turned away, walking just a few feet, trying desperately to keep his mind clear of all outside interference, including the looks on the faces of his friends and the emotions that were guiltily plaguing his soul, weighing him down.

Looking outside himself and at the darkness that shrouded space, he saw sparks of electricity racing along the windows of the Watchtower and immediately ran over to the control panel, closing down the shutters, enclosing himself in the Watchtower on a collision course with the targeted hyperspace bypass.

With a few flicks of his fingers, he typed in the projected course, taking a seat in front of the control panel and clearing his mind so that he could focus on his present objective.

Strapping himself into the seatbelt, he watched as the manual controls emerged and he wrapped his clammy hands firmly and determinably around the steering components and clamped down on the emotions tearing at his throat, the demons incessantly screaming in his brain that this wasn't necessary, that life was preferable to death, even death with honor.

He had made the decision logically that in order to prevail, he would need to take his own life; he would need to manually guide the Watchtower into its ultimate target, the little science experiment known as a hyperspace bypass that the Thanagarians were building in the middle of the African desert. The doubts troubling his mind weren't due to rational arguments, they were purely and simply derived from emotions, from worries and wondering if things could have turned out differently, if something else could have done.

This was his idea, his decision, and ultimately his choice and there was no room for regrets, in his mind or in his heart.

He allowed himself a moment of respite, to remember the moments that had led up to this one in his life, to think about the first time he had seen Dick, the first night he'd gone out patrolling the streets of Gotham, the women who had come and gone in his life and in his heart, the shot that still rang in his ears from his parents' murder. The pictures flashed and raced through his mind at an alarming speed, each moment that had meant so much during the coldness of his life.

Batman saw the vision of Diana's face – that last lingering look she'd sent him before heading out to save the world tonight, that first moment when they'd kissed in a hotel room in Kasnia, the first time he'd ever seen her just before the formation of the Justice League. Odd how that memory flowed through his mind at the dissolution of the League. He didn't know if they would be able to continue after today – there would be no Hawkgirl and now, no Batman. Still, there were others that would continue the mission, both on Earth and in Gotham.

There were so many things in his mind, words that were desperately bubbling close to his lips, but he kept quiet, firming his mouth and hoping that everyone who'd ever meant anything to him – his sons, Diana, Alfred – would all understand why he was making this sacrifice, that, in his mind, he was doing this for them.

He was expendable, the least important member of the League, at least in the definitive sense of things. He was the least powerful, a mere mortal, and a man who would slowly and continually age as the years went on, no matter that he exercised and trained religiously. And eventually, he would die. He was simply speeding up the process, he told himself.

Batman had wanted to say goodbye to more than just J'onn and Flash, but he realized that alerting anyone to his plan meant that they would try to talk him out of it. They would come up with some other plan of action, some other means of destroying the hyperspace bypass. But to his mind, there simply wasn't any time.

There was only himself. And he would see this through to the end, no matter that it would cost him his life and others their hearts and their happiness. He was leaving Gotham in safe hands, knowing that Tim, Dick, and the others would all be there to protect the city. And Alfred, as well. They would take care of the aging butler, knowing how important it was to Bruce and how important Alfred had become to all the members of the Bat-clan over the years.

Batman would be replaced. He knew that for many people, he seemed nothing more than an urban myth anyway, a legacy of shadows and vigilantism that tried to clear the streets of Gotham from the crime that littered them. And now, that legacy would go down in a blaze of glory, saving the world that had so often chosen not to acknowledge his presence.

He couldn't blame them for that. He wasn't a creature of the light and a public figure like Superman, he didn't possess the genial nature and laughing manner of Flash, and he certainly didn't have the alien and foreign mystique about him that the others did.

He was simply an ordinary man who had made himself into something of a legend through hard work and determination. Others could, and would, follow suit, that he knew.

This mission was fraught with impossibilities, the least of which being him being able to escape alive. He held little hope of that eventuality, but deep in the recesses of his mind, a part of him cried out for just a few more minutes, a few more years – to watch his sons grow, to honor the memory of his parents one more night, to watch Diana smile when he once again told her that he loved her, to stop one more villain, lock away one more criminal.

And then he realized that was exactly what he was doing. He was stopping a villain of enormous proportions, an invasion that was planning to rip apart the threads of the world and simply remove their existence, the existence of the entire Earth.

As the Watchtower continued to plunge towards Earth, he held the course steady, palms cool now as the rightness of what he was doing infiltrated his mind and he realized that this was his purpose, his swan song.

There were no more worries about tomorrow, no more questions about yesterday, just a sense that he was doing what needed done, just as any other hero would do, regardless of situation or circumstance. The only recrimination that lurked in his mind was that he wouldn't get the chance to say goodbye. But he also knew that J'onn would pass along his message to Diana and perhaps she would see that there had been no other way for this to go down, no other way for them to ultimately win this war and emerge as the clear victors.

The Watchtower began to fill with a suffocating heat, burning his retinas and scalding his skin, and, sweating profusely, he steadily continued his chosen course. Chunks of steel and shrapnel fell behind him in fiery bursts and he had to fight to keep the controls stable in his hands as sweat dripped onto the floor and his skin began to feel tight and overwhelmingly heated.

And suddenly, he realized what he was doing, realized what he was giving up, what he was sacrificing and wondered if today had to be the end of everything he'd worked for, of his entire life. In seconds they would defeat the Thanagarians and he realized that he wouldn't be around to see it, to see the droves of hawk soldiers take to the skies and leave their planet. He wouldn't be able to experience the thrill of victory, just a fiery death. And he realized that he wanted to be there tomorrow, wanted to see the sun rise again, to watch his sons mature, to see that mischievous light fill the depths of Diana's blue eyes. He wanted to live.

So, knowing that the smallest of seconds could mean the difference between triumph and defeat, between life and his death, he initiated a call to Superman over the com-link, knowing that with his friend, this friend, he wouldn't have to ask.

"Superman - we're cutting it a little close," he stated brusquely, refusing to let any emotion into his voice, any sign that his life was in grave danger.

"Have you shut off the force field?" he asked forcefully, sweaty hands clinging desperately to the controls as he fought to stay on course, to keep up his end of this mission. He knew that he could die today, that he could go down with the Watchtower, but a kernel of hope still fed his brain.

"Not yet," was the answer he received. And then, the question he had known his friend would ask, "Where are you?"

"On board the Watchtower," he returned firmly, heat causing his throat to fill and his brow to wet with perspiration as he continued, a harsh tone to his voice, "Guiding it to target."

"That's insane!" Superman exclaimed, concern pervading his voice. "Get out of there!"

"Negative," Batman stated. "I'm staying here…"

He couldn't see the horrified expression on his friend's face and the shock that raced down Superman's spine as he yelled out, "Batman!" And without another second passing, he took off into the sky, racing towards the Watchtower that was bearing down on the Thanagarian stronghold in the desert.

Their escape pod finally hitting the ground, J'onn and Flash emerged from the metal container, looking anxiously at the sky and wondering if their friend was still alive, if the Earth was on its way to being saved. J'onn had been unable to make any connection with Batman since his last fateful words, almost as if he had tuned outside interference out of his mind in order to complete his mission.

The Martian remembered his last words to him and sought to connect to the mind of the Amazon Princess, knowing that replaying Batman's words to her would only bring pain and agony, that while she would understand that Batman was a true warrior, a man who would sacrifice everything for a cause, she would still be plagued by question, just as J'onn himself was. He should have been able to stop Batman from unleashing that escape pod, should have known what the man was thinking. But he had been preoccupied, not looking at his friend, and now, Batman would die.

There were other options and he wished that he could have told Batman that. J'onn himself could have piloted the Watchtower, phasing out before it hit the hyperspace bypass, or someone could have been flying outside with the Watchtower, standing by to save Batman at the last second.

It seemed such a waste, such a tragic consequence to what the Thanagarians had set in motion so many years before. They had lost Shayera to her homeland, and now, they would lose Batman in the fight to save their homeland.

And with a heavy heart, J'onn relayed the final words of the man that he had called friend to the woman who had shown Batman how to love.

The Watchtower raced towards Earth at an amazing speed, the entire structure encased in flames and glowing with the heat of its projection. Superman strained to catch up, dodging pieces of shrapnel and pushing forward towards his friend, determined to save him from a fate that he did not deserve.

Their friendship demanded that.

Blasting a hole in the side of the Watchtower with his fist, Superman flew into the structure to see Batman passed out on the chair by the controls, his hands empty, his body feverish with sweat and chills. Rather than extract him from the chair, he simply pulled it from the Watchtower, taking the entire thing, including his friend, into his hands and racing out of the Watchtower, knowing that it was close to its target and he wanted to get them both as far away as possible, alive and kicking.

He exited the structure, Batman in tow, and almost immediately heard the crash of the Watchtower against the hyperspace bypass. A part of him wanted to cheer at the victorious sound, but he knew that for him and Batman, they needed to get far away and quickly. SO he pushed himself, trying desperately to escape the shrapnel and flames that followed them.

Hit by a rock as he flew, Superman couldn't see as the smoke billowed, grey and thick, before finally fading into wisps. Pushing the rock on top of him clear, he pulled Batman up, noticing that his friend was conscious now. Together, silently, they stared at the crater where formerly, there had been a hyperspace bypass created by the Thanagarians.

Their plan had succeeded.

Standing, his cape billowing red and free in the wind, Superman looked down at his friend on the ground, catching Batman's eye. "You always have to be the hero, don't you?" Superman asked him with a smile, clearly grateful that his friend was alive, that something in this crazy world was still the same: their friendship.

And with a smirk, Batman answered him, "Right back at you."

_**Next chapter: If You Want Blood – Hro and Green Lantern battle it out…**_

_**Or should I skip that and instead write **_

_**Next Chapter: What It Takes – the League tries to determine if Shayera will have a place in their future…**_

_**Please review!**_

**_Seriously, folks, it only takes a few minutes. I know you're all out there, reading this, and I would really appreciate you taking just another minute and letting me know what you think. I don't bite, I promise! And I've put a lot of time and effort into these chapters and my only reward is your reviews. So please review and let me know what you think!_**

_To Reviewer **T** – Alfred is always a fun addition to the story. He's so starchy and yet incredibly understanding about Bruce and what goes on in his mind. Of course, he has years of experience. I don't always need a happy ending, but in this case, I just can't leave them dangling and angry with one another!_

_To Reviewer **SSJ04 Mewtwo** – That's very true. Ten chapters will keep you going for awhile. I mean, that's probably at least another three weeks, or so I'm willing to bet. Especially with the holidays. Merry Christmas to you as well!_

_To Reviewer **Lauren** – You'll have to wait and see what happens during the rest of the story. All that I can guarantee is that there will be drama and there will eventually be a happy ending. Thanks for the review! BMWW Forever!_

_To Reviewer **Dihcar** – It would be great if one day someone got around to making a BMWW movie or something. You're right, stranger things have happened, although I doubt that it'll ever actually get done. DC probably wouldn't let it. I loved Batman Begins and I'm eagerly anticipating the next one of those, but I have yet to see Superman Returns. Is it worth it? Thanks for the review!_


	17. What It Takes

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_Well, I decided that rather than slowly ease myself back into writing, I'm just going to go all out on this chapter after taking a few days off. So, hopefully it's decent, and hopefully you all like it! Thanks for all the reviews and help with the voting! I think we figured it out…_

_Beta-ed by DWParsnip – Thanks!_

_Just a note - This chapter is set up a little differently than the others…_

_Also, thank you to Sondra/TruthBeTold for the chapter title!_

**Chapter 17, What it Takes, by Aerosmith**

"_Tell me what it takes to let you go/Tell me how the pain's supposed to go/Tell me how it is that you can sleep/In night without thinking about how/You lost everything that was good/In your life to the toss of the dice" – Aerosmith_

**_THE ONE – "If you want blood, you got it"_**

She sat alone, huddled on the couch, wondering when the sword of Damocles would finally fall and end the last remaining shred of hope that she still belonged, that the place she had called home for the last five years wouldn't turn against her, and that the people she had been proud to call friends could understand the position she'd been placed in, the decisions she'd had to make, for herself, for Earth, and for Thanagar. She understood that she wasn't being judged just on her actions, but on herself, on what she'd done in the years since the formation of the Justice League. Looking down at her trembling hands, she realized that she could be found wanting, that at any second that door could open and she would be told that she was alone again, just as she had been when she'd come to Earth.

But then, she'd come for a purpose. She wondered what her purpose would be now, clenching her fists amidst her thoughts to stop the shivers that wracked her hands and her body.

She had regrets, of course, but Shayera Hol wasn't a woman to dwell on the past, particularly when her future was sitting in the hands of six other people. Her only consolation was that they hadn't dismissed her immediately. She wasn't sure she could predict what their reactions would be in the end, what decision would be made; she only knew that ultimately, she had stood for Earth, and she could only hope that was enough.

She had come to this world a spy, deceiving friends and citizens alike, and, she supposed, there was a price to be paid for that. A price in blood. She hadn't planned on the fact that Earth would become a second home; that she would make friends; that she would be accepted into the greatest group of heroes that Earth could call its own: the Justice League. It had been a bit of a lark at first, something to enable her to learn about the strongest weapons that Earth possessed, so that she could understand their weaknesses and, in the end, exploit them.

But things had changed. She had found friends – people that trusted her to fight by their side, that relied on her skills and expertise, and that accepted her into their midst. Bringing a finger to her mouth, she began to restlessly gnaw at the ragged nail, glancing again at the door behind which the six remaining members of the Justice League were making the decision about her future.

She didn't envy the decision, but she did envy the fact that they were together while she was once again alone, standing outside a locked door while the place that she had sometimes taken for granted in this world was being debated upon.

Although she wasn't a woman of regrets, she took a moment to sink into her memories, into the storehouse of all that had come before between herself and the other members of the Justice League.

She supposed that she had fallen for Wally first – it was hard to stay strong and unfriendly against that charm and goofy grin. Sometimes he was such an idealist, an optimist, that it was all she could do not to shake her head and hit him with her mace, knowing that others would take advantage of that spirit, see him as weaker without recognizing the heart of gold that lay behind the cheerful façade. He had given the team life, a light that few others could replicate, and she knew that they had all unconsciously looked to him for faith when things looked the bleakest. It was usually then when Wally's smile shone the brightest.

Shayera could only hope now that he would understand, that he would forgive her.

While Wally had been the smile in the room, J'onn had been the sense of peace and tranquility that so often brought her emotions back into check. She knew that she could be a hothead, that she usually acted first and considered the ramifications of those actions later, but that was simply an inherent part of her personality. J'onn was the calm, the rational one, and someone who had understood what it meant to lose a homeland, even if her loss had been on purpose, on a mission.

He had tried to understand her, even when she hadn't, couldn't, let him.

The others had perhaps been a little harder to get to know. Superman and Batman were both busy men, active outside of the Watchtower with their respective occupations and their own outside missions. Shayera understood that Batman's first priority had been to Gotham; her own had been to Thanagar until recently. She looked over at the window that dominated the room, imagining it broken, glass shattered across the floor thanks to her kinsman. She swallowed a sigh and looked back down at her hands, the shaking having eased slightly with her reverie.

She remembered the feel of her mace in her hands, the blood smeared on her hands after Hro had backhanded her, and most of all, the heat of John's gloved hand against her own as they had shut down the force field, together. Her lip trembled at the memory and she caught it between her teeth, refusing to let her emotions win today.

One thing was certain: they wouldn't forgive her.

She hadn't yet forgiven herself.

**THE FOR _- "And if I should falter, will you open your arms out to me"_**

They sat side by side at the wooden table that housed the six of them, staunchly defending their friend, who had, in the end, proven her loyalty and that she belonged in the Justice League. They were unwavering in their support, equally determined to make sure that Shayera Hol, Hawkgirl, was reinstated in the Justice League because of her undaunted spirit and her courageous actions over the course of the last few days.

"Come on!" Flash exclaimed, gesturing grandly with his hands as he struggled to make his point to the others. He knew that some, like Diana, were going to be a hard sell. The Amazon Princess wasn't one to forgive transgressions, no matter the reasons, and her face was set in hard lines, her hands crossed over her chest as she stared at Wally, practically daring him to find some reason that would convince her to allow Shayera back in their midst.

For Diana, Wally knew, once a traitor, always a traitor. And so he appealed to the others in the room. "She was in the ultimate no-win situation! But when push came to shove, she came through, just like always."

And to Wally, that was the only sign that he had needed to welcome Shayera back in their midst. He couldn't stand to look at John's face, so wreathed in misery as they debated the fate of his, Wally presumed, former girlfriend. The feelings still ran deep there and Wally wasn't sure that time would heal all wounds, but he did know that Hawkgirl was a part of the Justice League, just as much now as she had ever been, if not more.

"She's a pariah to her people," J'onn stated in his usual toneless manner, his face quiet, as if through his utter lack of emotion he could show them that he meant every word, that he wanted her to rejoin their ranks.

"We're all she has left," he continued, looking at Superman on his right, knowing that this was the man that he had to convince, that this was the person who would ultimately decide the fate of Shayera Hol. The others were all too ingrained in their decisions and noting would change their minds, including himself. But, if someone could change things, it would be this man.

J'onn knew what it was like to be alone, to be an outcast, and he didn't want Shayera to face that same fate: the lonely nights, the constant wondering, the agony of knowing that you were alone in the world. It had been the Justice League who had become J'onn's second family, who had given him a place of honor and rank in their world, teaching him about the open nature of the human heart. He now wanted to pass that same spirit of welcome and friendship along to Shayera, to give her another family to help ease the burden of losing the first. They couldn't be Thanagar to her, but they could at least shelter her and help her to ride out this storm, as friends, as comrades, to show her support so that she could regain her position in Earth as a trusted and respected member of the Justice League.

And he was disheartened to hear Superman answer his plea without the words of encouragement he had been hoping to hear.

"Believe me, J'onn, I feel for her. But after everything that's happened, I'm not sure that I could ever completely trust her again."

**THE RECUSED – _"There's a hole in the world tonight"_**

He wasn't sure how they had all ended up at Wayne Manor, only that someone had made the decision and communicated that idea through J'onn's telepathy. There had been a buzzing in his ears and his mouth felt sore and swollen, and without looking into a mirror, he had the distinct knowledge that his face was bruised and colorful.

He sat at the table between Bruce and Diana, seemingly ignoring every word that floated on the air around him, but in truth, his heart took in every word, every utterance that might bring Shayera back or force her to again find a place in yet another world.

He wasn't angry anymore; he was just sad that it had to end this way. His chest and arm were sporting clean white bandages, courtesy of Alfred, Bruce's butler, and he knew that it would be weeks before he reached a complete recovery. Right now, everything hurt, including his heart, and he honestly wasn't sure how to take care of that one, wasn't sure how to move past Shayera.

At least, not today.

And when they had decided to take a vote to decide whether or not to allow her to return to the Justice League, he had immediately decided not to take part in the proceedings, but to sit and listen, to see what the others were thinking. He himself was too close to the problem, to Shayera.

He could picture her smile as she hurled a snowball at him, see the beauty that was her face when she'd first removed her helmet and revealed to him that wealth of red hair and the eyes that shone green as his ring. He remembered sitting on a bed in the darkness, the stars twinkling outside of the Watchtower as he'd laid his lips on hers for the first time, so pleased that she'd finally let go off her worries and recognized that something special lay between them.

And now, a chasm lay between them that he wasn't sure could ever be brought together again. For those same happy pictures now lay side by side with her kissing Hro, bestowing on him that soft happy smile that he'd thought was his own, her sucker punching him, and her cool, aloof face as she'd stood outside his cell in the mother ship, Kragger's words of condescension still ringing in his ears as she'd made no move to help them, to defend him.

He wasn't sure which one was the real Shayera. He didn't trust his judgment anymore. And that, he decided, was no one's fault but his own.

**THE AGAINST – _"Must have been love, but it's over now/Must have been good, but I lost it somehow…"_**

"She exploited our weaknesses, betrayed us!" Diana spat out, her eyes still glowing with a battle ready light that bespoke of the fact that she had already made up her mind as to Shayera's fate. There was little anyone else could do in order to shift her decision; the tenacious Amazon was determined to hold a grudge against her former friend, to hold her accountable for all that had transpired over the past few days.

If not for Shayera, Diana mused stubbornly, she wouldn't feel this need to wrap her hands around someone's throat and strangle them, she wouldn't want to go off alone and lick her wounds in solace, she wouldn't feel this…hurt.

And it was that hurt that was driving her now, refusing to let her back down, refusing to let her look around the room knowing that Bruce sat just feet away, that his eyes would be shielded from her view behind the cowl, that ever present cowl that she was beginning to hate with a passion that blindsided her.

He sat at the head of the table, only John between them, and she couldn't let her eyes meet his for the pain she feared would stab through her body, the memories that would race through her mind at the sight of him.

When J'onn had delivered the message, the force field had already been down, the Thanagarians had already given up, but she had had the thirst for blood still pumping through her veins. At first, she had stood, staring sight unseen, her gaze cloudy with disbelief and wishing she had paid more attention to her hunch earlier that something was different between them, that he had been hiding something.

But there had been a world to save. No time for goodbyes. After her breath had returned, she had taken off like a shot through the roof of the mother ship, desperately heading towards the site of the former hyperspace bypass, sure that something in her would recognize if he were indeed dead, certain that she would claw through the rubble until she found his mangled body, or whatever she could of him, if he was indeed dead. She would bury him with all the honors due a warrior, she told herself calmly, blood still pumping, but heart ice cold.

Her mind prepared herself for the worst, for the devastation that would await her damp eyes, and as she raced anxiously through the skies, she thought of all that had passed between them, of how he had changed her life, of how he had enhanced it with his love and with his slowly growing willingness to let her into his life, fully and completely.

Diana's brain ran the gamut of emotions until she could handle no more, until she wondered just what she would face when she got there, just how hard it was going to be to pick up the pieces of her heart that Bruce had carried with him, whether he knew it or not.

She would persevere, it was the Amazon way, she told herself brokenly, her hair streaming behind her in the wind, but she would always remember the Dark Knight who had been the first to capture her heart, the first to show her the affection and the possibilities that could lie between a man and a woman.

And so, she had been unprepared for the shock of seeing Bruce, presumably alive and well, lying in the rubble with a smile on his face as he traded quips with Superman, apparently unconcerned with letting the others, herself included, know that he hadn't gone down with the Watchtower, but had instead came away unscathed.

And a part of her heart broke off as she hung there, suspended in air, watching the man that she loved smile at his best friend.

She knew now that she hadn't handled that well either, that the shock and the array of emotions attacking her body hadn't allowed her the grace and tact that were her usual trade in stock. There had been a pleasure and pain so hot that she'd been unable to breathe, unsure of her footing and her place. She had been torn between taking a Thanagarian sword to him for his sheer stupidity and giving him a kiss the likes of which he might never recover from. For that matter, she wasn't sure that Superman was ready to handle such a blatant display of their relationship either, particularly with no prior knowledge of it.

He wasn't stupid for what he had done, she understood that he had believed it necessary to guide in the Watchtower and often, his beliefs were correct. But it was his other belief that she would have to correct: that he was less than the rest of the League, that he was the best to sacrifice.

And so, she couldn't forgive Shayera. She had taken herself away from Diana and be damned if she was going to take Bruce too. The League would be nothing without him, without their unofficial leader, their general, and Diana would have lost so much in one fell swoop – her friend, her lover, and the Justice League. He wouldn't see it, but they wouldn't be able to go on without his leadership, without all that he did for them, usually behind the scenes and often in the shadows.

He had looked at her as she'd been frozen in the sky, meeting her shocked gaze for one prolonged second before he'd turned back to Superman, and she'd realized that this was it, that this was all that he was ever going to give her: a secret, a shadow.

And it wasn't enough. She'd almost lost him today and she was tired of the shadows, tired of the stolen moments, just tired, physically and emotionally. And without another word, another look, she'd turned her back on him and gone in search of Wally and J'onn.

Now, she was angry – at him, at Shayera, and at herself.

And when she heard his words, "We're arguing in circles. It's time to take a vote," she knew that their circle was over, that things had changed, for all of them, and for herself and Bruce.

**THE DECIDOR – _"And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree, there will be an answer/Let it be"_**

He looked around at the faces that lined the table – the angry, the stoic, the righteous, the miserable – and couldn't help but wonder why it came down to him, why in these situations, he had to be Superman. There were moments where he just wanted to be Clark Kent, a simple man who loved his job and his family, who didn't' have to make these kinds of decisions, the decisions that affected someone's life and someone's livelihood.

To his right, between Bruce and Diana sat John, his face bruised and battered, dark shadows under his eyes signifying that he hadn't gotten much sleep in the past few days. Not that any of them had, but John's situation was a little more unique and a little more heart wrenching. Clark certainly didn't envy him the precarious situation his love life was in.

Bruce and Diana had already made up their minds, firmly entrenched against Shayera. Neither was one to forgive, much less forget. He knew that they were unmovable, unshakable in their beliefs and hoped that his own sense of judgment was more fluid, more willing to look at circumstance and possibilities.

To his left sat J'onn and Wally, firmly in Shayera's corner, voting yes, and willing to give her another chance, to welcome her back into the Justice League family. A small part of him wondered how they could trust her again and then he realized that Wally was right, that she had come through in the end, that she was the reason that they were alive right now, deciding her fate within the Justice League.

She had saved the Earth.

She was a hero.

And he voted yes.

**_Next chapter: Movin' On – Shayera talks to Alfred and makes a decision about her future with the League…_**

**_Please review!_**

**_Also, a quick note: Whenever the story and author alerts go down, as they so often do on this site, I usually send out an email letting people know that I've posted yet another chapter. If you'd like me to add you to my list, just email me or include your email in your review. And if you want off that list, let me know that too!_**

_To Reviewer **T** – Well, obviously now you know how I'm pretty sure that they voted. I find it odd, at least a little, that Superman says that he can't trust her again, and yet, he is the swing vote in her favor. Maybe he finally realized the position that she was in during this entire episode and how hard of decisions she had to make. And don't worry, in this case, I share your obsession and will make sure that there is a happy ending. Thanks!_

_To Reviewer **Phoenix77** – The next episode is technically Initiation, but I'm going to wrap that story into this one. The next episode I'll actually do as a stand alone story is For the Man Who Has Everything – the Superman birthday with Mongul and the Black Mercy plant. Should be interesting. Well, hopefully. Oh, Colorado with all that snow! My husband is very envious. Me, I'm thankful I'm not there! (smiles) I'm so glad that you like the story and I hope that you won't be disappointed by the remaining chapters!_

_To Reviewer **Ariana** – Glad that you caught up and I'm glad that you like it still! I kept telling myself that Bruce would have to say SOMETHING to Diana and it finally dawned on me that he could do it through J'onn. Inventive, huh? Sometimes telepaths just make a story easier. (smiles) And I think that you're right about the voting too. Of course, now you already know that. Thanks for the review!_

_To Reviewer **Dihcar** – I agree with you completely. I don't think that there's a Gotham without Batman, regardless of how well he's trained all his protégés. They're great, but they're just not Batman. Ah, The Dark Knight movie. With the Joker. I'm very excited – can't wait to find out more about it. See, much as I hate to admit it, I'm just not really a Superman fan. He's too good or something. That's why I like Batman – he's darker, more mysterious, and just more interesting in my opinion. So the Superman movie didn't hold much appeal. But maybe I'll get to it eventually. Thanks for the review!_

_To Reviewer **Jin** – Yes, this poll was definitely to help figure out how to do an in-depth account of how they voted and what they ultimately decided about Shayera's fate in the Justice League. I'm really glad you like this story and that it pushed you to go back and read my others. And believe me, I understand being a lazy bastard and not wanting to review, but I'm really glad that you took just a minute to! I really appreciate all the compliments and I'm amazed at the amount of feedback that I've gotten on this story. And I love term paper reviews! You gave an in-depth idea of how you think that they voted and compliments too, so thanks!_

_To Reviewer **SarahC4321** – I knew that eventually she came back in the episodes, so they didn't vote her out, but I simply couldn't remember how they voted. I really need to watch the upcoming episodes in the near future, because my brain has somewhat forgotten them. It does that sometimes. Ah, the good old days of being a high school senior. Well, I'm glad that you found a few minutes to read and review! I really appreciate the comments and the compliments, believe me. Good luck with the college applications!_

_To Reviewer **Lauren** – Gold in my hands? Well, I definitely appreciate that compliment. And next should be after the vote, what happens to Shayera and what happens to the rest of the League. Hopefully it turns out well! Thanks for the review!_

_To Reviewer **legion** – I'm so glad that you like it! I certainly enjoy writing it. I hope you like what I ended up doing with this chapter. Unfortunately, I won't be changing much of the canon story during the JLU episodes, much as I want to. Not so much for BMWW, but for HGGL. I never liked how that storyline went either. And don't worry, the others on the team will soon be figuring out that BMWW are involved. In fact, someone from the team will find out later in this story. You'll have to wait and see who! Thanks!_


	18. I'm Movin' On

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_Sorry for another few days off. The holidays you know. But I'm back!_

_I decided to experiment a little this chapter and write from another person's perspective…_

**Chapter 18, I'm Movin' On, by Rascal Flatts**

"_I'm movin' on, at last I can see, life has been patiently waiting for me and I know there's no guarantees but I'm not alone…" – Rascal Flatts_

She looked so alone, sitting there forlornly, her hands cradling her head as if it was the only things keeping her together, keeping her from breaking down and falling apart. But he had the distinct feeling, even not knowing her perhaps that well, that she would see that type of breakdown, that type of release, as a weakness, and one that she herself was not due at this particular time, that she didn't ultimately deserve.

Whether it was because of her perceived betrayal, the fact that her life as she had known it was falling down around her ears, or the fact that the friends she'd made on this planet were in the room behind closed doors, deciding on her fate, deciding on whether or not she could still continue as a member of the Justice League; but he couldn't help but feel that she deserved some sort of respite from the agony and questioning that she was surely putting herself through right now.

He didn't know all that had happened, only that the two of them were here together, in this room right now, awaiting her fate. He didn't know how it had come to be, what they each had sacrificed or done in order to preserve the fate of the world, just that right now, we were all alive and well and here to rejoice in the moment as we should.

He stood in the shadows, much as his master often did in the cover of the night, curtained by the doorway and watching the winged redhead as she sat, lost in the thought. And, he thought to himself, just lost, a warrior who had lost her purpose and had felt the shattering pain of having lost all that was important to her, all that she had spent so long fighting for. He understood the feeling and imagined, as least to a point, that Master Bruce would understand it as well, would see that Miss Hol, the Hawkgirl of the Justice League, had been fighting for her homeland as surely as Master Bruce went out every night as the Batman, determined to avenge his parent's deaths and keep his city safe.

But, he also knew that Master Bruce would see what Miss Hol had done as a treasonous act, something utterly unforgivable, because some things in Master's Bruce's world were black and white, regardless of how many gray areas there seemed to be creeping into the rest of his reasons and thought processes.

It was simply the way that he had been for so many years now – Master Bruce had a strict moral code of sorts, but he also didn't mind breaking said code in order to achieve certain results. But he would never understand betrayal and would certainly never condone it.

It simply wasn't a part of the way that Master Bruce was made up.

And from the looks on the other faces, he knew that the meeting in there would be singularly unproductive for some, that it was easier to some to understand, ultimately to forgive in the end. But for Master Bruce, forgiveness was not to be in this case and Alfred had known that from the get-go. He simply hoped that the others had the capacity in them for understanding, to seeing the person behind the mask of Hawkgirl and truly comprehending what she had to do and all that she had to give up in order to preserve Earth, to maintain her love for both the homeland of her birth and the one that had adopted her years ago as one of their heroes, as one of their own.

He watched as she turned on the television; as she listened to the reporter describe the evacuation of the Thanagarian troops. Imagining the screen, he wondered how it felt to watch the last remnants of a homeland disappear before your very eyes, to watch family and friends disappear, and with them, the last remaining hope that you would be able to return to the land of your birth.

Alfred didn't understand that kind of pain, of losing that kind of hope. Master Bruce had long ago lost his parents and with them, that sense of family and love that had pervaded the house. But then, he'd still had his memories and the home that he'd grown up in. He'd had people to take care of him and people that loved him still, even if they weren't his original parents. But Alfred liked to think of himself as a secondary parent, as someone who'd looked out for Master Bruce and his interests and new family over the years. He'd never been more proud that when Master Bruce had first brought home Master Dick, had proven that he understood what the young boy was going through and had wanted to help.

It had been proof that Master Bruce had understood that his obligations weren't only to his parents. And over the years, Master Bruce had brought home numerous members to add to the clan, to the growing family members that he surrounded himself with.

Still, Alfred wasn't satisfied. He longed for a family to fill the home, for the sound of babies and laughter and an atmosphere that hadn't infused Wayne Manor since Mr. and Mrs. Wayne had died so many years before, leaving before a bereft and inconsolable child and a butler who'd suddenly had to take on the role of parent and keeper.

He liked to think that he'd excelled at both, but there were days when he wondered if he'd done his best by the young master.

And there were moments like this where he saw the worlds that had been opened up to young Bruce, regardless of the atrocities that he'd had to witness in order to make them a reality.

He was surrounded by man and women of great stature, of extreme talents, and of personal and professional courage. And he not only fit in with these individuals, but he led them in spirit as well.

A father couldn't be more proud than that.

Although Alfred had the distinct feeling that Master Bruce's personal relationships were about to take a dive, for reasons that he wasn't entirely aware of and couldn't fathom. He only knew that the couple who had enjoyed the gondola ride on the grounds of Wayne Manor so long ago were tearing apart at the seams and there was nothing that he could do but watch.

It was something in Master Bruce's face, in Princess Diana's demeanor that had tipped him to the fact that things between the two were not all cream and roses. Perhaps the two would work it out.

Knowing Master Bruce as he did, he was tempted to completely disregard that notion. And, thinking back over the last few hours, thinking of how he hadn't seen any interaction between the heroes of Batman and Wonder Woman, he found that thought confirmed.

But for now, he needed to put aside his own selfish wants and wishes and comfort someone who needed a little understanding and a lot of support. Breaking himself from his reverie, he looked at the double doors behind which, six heroes debated the future of one of their own.

And then he looked at the despondent face of Miss Shayera Hol and couldn't help but pity her and feel the need to interfere. It was a trait he'd refine during his years of service to Master Bruce and one that he thought would come in handy during this little "chat."

Walking forward, he watched as she turned the television off and placed the remote on the coffee table, rising to stand as he fully entered the room.

Gesturing towards the double doors with a desperate look on her face, she said quietly, "They've been in there a long time."

"Yes, Miss, they have." He set the tea tray down on the table, lifting the cup and saucer and calmly beginning to pour the tea. "If I may be so bold, I'm neither a superhero nor a soldier, so I'm hardly qualified to judge your actions by those standards."

He saw her start for a second and wondered if she thought that he too was going to turn against her in her time of need. And he wasn't sure that he had ever seen someone in need quite like this. Even Master Bruce had had someone to turn to, a friendly face amidst the tears and the self-recriminations.

Miss Shayera had nothing. And he couldn't turn his back on her as well, knowing what she had done to save them all, and what she might face when those she called friends emerged from that room, her fate in hand.

"But I do know this," he murmured softly. "Without the great sacrifices that you made, we wouldn't be here to share this nice pot of tea." And without further ado, he handed her the steaming cup, watching as her face filled with hope and such gratitude with what he felt had been poor words at best. He couldn't give her back neither her job nor her standing in the worlds she called home, but he could be grateful that she had given so much in service to her newfound world and friends.

Covering her hand with his, he added, "Whatever they decide in that room, in my eyes, you'll always be a hero."

And then he walked away, never seeing the happiness on her face fade again as she glanced towards the double doors.

When Master Bruce informed him just minutes later that the verdict was in, he couldn't help but wonder at what decision had been made as to the young hawkgirl's fate. But he knew better than to question Master Bruce at this time. He would find out eventually, just as he always did.

Returning to the room, to the young girl hunched down on the sofa, wings wrapped around herself and hands clasped in fear and indecision, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"They sent for you, Miss," he told her as he gazed into her green eyes, filled with a question that he simply couldn't answer and a hope that he wished he could fulfill.

"Thank you, Alfred," she spoke, rising, and without hesitation, walking towards the doors, her spine straight and her head back.

He waited for a moment, following her to the doors, but remaining in the shadows, just close enough to hear the words that greeted her.

"Hawkgirl," he heard Mr. Kent state, but Miss Hol interrupted almost immediately. He couldn't seem them ranged against her, on the opposite side of the room, standing in a group that she might never be a part of again. But he could imagine it.

"Before you start, I have something to say."

He could almost imagine her eyes, hard and filled with a yearning to be part of that group again; her hair, a testament to her fiery temperament, but from the shadows, all he had were her words.

"I came to this world a patriot. I had a mission and I carried it out."

There was a pause and then she continued, "What I couldn't know is that I would come to care for the Earth and her people, that I'd come to care for all of you."

He could imagine that her eyes were sad now, that emotions flickered in them like lightning bugs, reflecting all the feelings that were racing through her at the moment.

"I've spent the last five years torn between my feelings and my duty. I won't ask you to do the same."

And suddenly, he felt the need to weep and to wonder how anyone could be as alone as this woman was right now, thanks to her conflicting needs and wishes.

"Therefore, I am resigning from the Justice League, effective immediately."

And he watched as, within moments, she walked out the doors and to the cliffs behind Wayne Manor, staring at the sun setting on the ocean as if it held the answers to all her questions. He watched surreptitiously as Mr. Stewart followed her out to the cliffs, as they exchanged words as the sun lit the ocean, turning it into an inferno of watery fire, and finally, as the woman who had saved them all flew off into the skies, her wings spread and her hair streaming, without a second glance.

**_Next chapter: Shimmer – The End of BMWW…_**

_**Please review!**_

_**What do you think of the perspective for this chapter? (smiles)**_

**_Also, a quick note: Whenever the story and author alerts go down, as they so often do on this site and are currently, I usually send out an email letting people know that I've posted yet another chapter. If you'd like me to add you to my list, just email me or include your email in your review. And if you want off that list, let me know that too!_**

_To Reviewer **T** – Thanks! I'm glad that you liked it, even though it was set out a little differently than the others. I'm trying new things, experimenting a little bit. Thanks for the review!_

_To Reviewer **SSJO4 Mewtwo** – I'm so glad that you liked this chapter. It took at least twice as long to write as my usual chapters, but I really liked how it came out. Didn't get a great number of reviews, but I've learned that the more I like a chapter, the less likely people seem to be to review it. Not sure why though! Glad you liked it though!_

_To Reviewer **Somebody Important** – Well, I like the new name. Better than the last one! You keep experimenting with your names and I'll experiment with my chapters. Hopefully we'll both find things we like! Best chapter except for one, huh? I really appreciate that, as well as all the quotes that you gave me. Do you know where that one from the comics comes from? I have read the others ones. I did a little research on the internet before I forayed into writing this relationship and came across those, but I really like the comic one as well. I'm slowly buying some of the comics with BMWW in them, but I have yet to come across that one. And I definitely didn't know about the possible original ending to This Little Piggy! That's hilarious! I really enjoyed all your comments and the help. Send more! Thanks!_

_To Reviewer **D** – You're close! They actually said in a later episode of Justice League that Superman did vote in her favor and that John decided not to vote because of his feelings for her. But you're right about all the rest of them – Batman doesn't forgive, J'onn would understand, Flash is too kind hearted, and well, Wondy has her reasons. Thanks for the help though!_


	19. Shimmer

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the characters therein. _

_And I will say it once again – YES, this is the end of BMWW, and YES, I will get them back together and happy and such before the end of the 25 chapters or so._

_Beta-ed by DWParsnip – Thanks!_

**Chapter 19, Shimmer, by Fuel**

"_All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade…" – Fuel_

They all stood together as they watched Shayera, the former Hawkgirl, walk out of the room, turning her back on all that she had been so that they could continue to be what they were and who they were. She had taken her stand, taking the decision out of their hands, and Diana couldn't help but feel the stirrings of pity as she watched the only other woman in the League walk out that door and out of their lives. Overriding that pity, however, was assurance that she, Diana, had still done the right thing in voting for Shayera's removal from the League. She may have tried to redeem herself in the end, but Shayera had still been responsible for so much that had befallen them, so much that could easily have killed them all.

She had played upon their weaknesses, had used them and their feelings for her, whether it be love or trust, in order to do what she thought was best, to show where her duty lay – with Thanagar.

There were a few words exchanged as the six of them tried to decide what to do next, but Diana barely heard their voices above the thoughts running through her head. They would go on, that she knew, and they would find a way past this betrayal to bigger and better things. Sometimes only a break like this, a dismantling of what had been before, was the only way to truly changes things, to forge ahead and make things better than they had previously been.

Diana watched as John went striding quietly out of the room after his former girlfriend, obviously wondering what had happened to the romance that had sprung up between them and what Shayera would be doing with her life now, where she would go. It was only natural, she supposed, to care for someone no matter the betrayal, no matter the pain they put you through. John would see the betrayal, but he would also remember the little things with Shayera, the moments that had truly made them an intimate couple rather than just friends or coworkers.

Shayera had spoken of the conflict between her duties and her feelings and Diana knew that when she had first arrived in Man's World, she probably would not have understood that sentiment as completely as she did now. Growing up on Themyscira had been a lesson in both discipline and putting feelings before duties. But she had left that behind when she had left the island and come to Man's World, putting aside her duties to the Amazons for her feelings of concern and trepidation about the events affecting the rest of the world.

Her mother had wanted her to ignore it, she remembered, to ignore her feelings and remember her duty to Themyscira. And she had deliberately disobeyed her mother and struck out on her own, stealing the armor and the lasso and leaving behind the only home that she had ever known to help others, to assuage her conscience.

Still, the feelings that had brought her to Man's World had been somewhat limited in scope. She had a natural disdain for men, thanks to her origins, and had spent those first few months seeing them as somewhat less than herself and Hawkgirl, as less than the women of Earth.

That, too, had changed for Diana. She had watched as time and again, the men by whose sides she worked risked their own safety and lives in order to save others, to rescue them from danger and disaster without a second thought. She remembered Gorilla City and a man's hands frantically searching through the dirt to find her underneath the carnage of that rocket. She remembered how those men had considered her one of their own, had assisted her when her sisters of Themyscira and her mother had been turned to stone by Felix Faust, no matter that they were going against the laws of her homeland and the wrath of the god Hades. She remembered a man in a cape and cowl who had nearly been killed when Aresia had tried to vent her wrath against men onto the world, trying desperately to stop that out of control bus and risking life and limb in the process without hesitation and without powers.

That, in itself, was a strength that had drawn her to the Dark Knight. And something that had made her realize that some men were worthy of both respect and admiration. Heart heavy, she realized that it had been only one man who had managed to capture both of these traits along with her love.

And she was going to give him up.

She watched in silence as the room emptied, as each of the heroes that were left in the room began to depart for the cities they protected and called home. Flash to Central City, Green Lantern to Detroit, and Clark to Metropolis, leaving only herself and J'onn there with Batman. Walking over to the windows, she watched the winged ascent of Shayera into the sunset and wondered if perhaps it was a symbol to her, an affirmation that what she was going to do was right. The sun was setting on the old and resting in order to bring new light, new beginnings.

She watched out of the corner of her eye as Bruce walked over to J'onn in order to offer him room in Wayne Manor and idly, she realized that she too was out of a home. She had chosen to live on the Watchtower and now, that home was gone. But she had other options, that she knew. There was always her sister's place. She felt sure that Donna would provide her sanctuary and space, a place to mend the heart that she was about to break: her own.

As J'onn solemnly made his way out of the room, escorted by Alfred to his new quarters in the mansion, Diana turned to face Bruce, to deal head on with what she was about to do, no regrets, no recriminations. She was still the Amazon Princess in spirit if not in title and if this was the end, she would see it through with strength and self-respect.

Diana watched Bruce looking at her and wondered if he was already preparing to escape, if he would actually listen to what she had to say or find a way to leave her alone with her thoughts and her words and avoid what he had to know was coming. But she watched as the warrior she loved took a stance in the middle of the room, pulling his cape around himself and looking at her dead-on.

Her lips trembled at the sight, but she clenched them together and hung on to her dignity with what was left of her strength. She closed her eyes for a second, her words quiet but confident as they poured forth into the silence that stretched between them.

"I can't do this, Bruce."

She clasped her hands tensing, tightening them until the blood drained from her hands and all she could feel was the searing pain that was lacing her system, the agony of telling the man that she loved that what they had wasn't enough anymore.

She didn't notice that his hands did the same, couldn't see that his fingers were bloodless underneath the gloves, that he was watching her slip away from him and knew that there was nothing he could say or do to prevent it.

"I can't do this anymore. I can't change you and I can't change your mindset, can't make you see or understand that you're an equal and a partner, a leader that the rest of us look to for guidance and answers."

Her eyes glazing with the fire of her statement, the passion that rocked her as she sought to prove her point, she continued, "I can't make you see that you're not the least of us, Bruce, but the best of us because of who you are and what you are not."

She looked down at her hands for a moment, saddened by the lack of response and the hurt that was coursing through her blood, the fleeting wish that things could have been different.

"We all respect you for that, Bruce. I respect you for those qualities." Her voice quavered for a second, but she looked at him again, saw the stillness that held his body and wished that he would say something, anything, that this didn't have to be so incredibly difficult and soul-wearying. "But I also know that you don't believe yourself to be worthy of the title of hero. You don't believe yourself to be worthy of a great many things."

"And that makes me angry, Bruce," she said, finally turning to the windows, watching as the pink and red that filled the sky began to fade as the sun sank into the ocean. She couldn't bear to watch anymore, couldn't bear to have him stand there across the room like a mannequin when she needed answers, needed a response that would tell her that things didn't have to end this way.

"I can't make you see that love won't strip you from the shadows and the secrets that you need, but will envelop you in those dark places."

Her eyes filled as she gazed through the window, but she blinked the tears furiously into submission, wanting to get everything out before she gazed into the sorrow that was overwhelming her, threatening to break her as she walked away from the promise of love.

But it wasn't the promise she needed.

"I don't want to shout it from the mountaintops, but I do want to share it with our friends, with the family that we have created here in the Justice League."

The sun sank lower, falling into the ocean with her words, washing the sky with the muted colors that appeared to Diana's eyes to be the gods painting the world with her sorrow, with the blood that was surely vanishing from her veins with every remark, with every lack of emotion and response from Bruce.

"It is a gift to rejoice in, Bruce, not a burden to be carrying, not something that we should keep in secret."

"It's a gift," she continued, finally turning to face him again, the trickle of tears caressing her cheeks, the haunted look in her eyes nearly bringing him to his knees. "It could be so much more than you're letting it."

He knew what she wanted. He knew that she wanted to bring things out in the open, to share what was between them with the others, but he just wasn't sure if he had it in him, he wasn't sure if he was ready. They had just watched someone they trusted betray them and he knew what the knowledge of their relationship could do if it fell into the wrong hands, if someone abused their power.

He had grown comfortable with what they had, with the secret that they had kept mostly between them, but he had known that eventually she would grow discontented with the shadows and the darkness. She was the one who had originally suggested the secret relationship and his heart had embraced that idea, had embraced the idea of keeping this woman and their emotions to themselves until they were ready to tell the world.

He still wasn't ready. And a part of him wasn't sure that he would ever be. There were too many questions unanswered for him to give her that assurance. And so, he kept quiet, knowing that in doing so that he was letting her go. His knees went weak at the thought, but his mind was resolved.

"I need them," she said, gesturing with a hand around the room to where the others of the League had been so recently, deciding about their future, "to know that we're together, that we're in love."

And his mind shut off completely when he saw the tears began to stream down her beautiful face in earnest, the face that had only hours before gazed at him across a table in an Indian restaurant, the face that was imprinted into his mind as the epitome of beauty, the face that graced the woman that he had fallen in love with.

He knew that he was going to lose her if he didn't let go of the shadows, if he couldn't take that step forward and share their relationship with the other League members. But the shadows had always been there, the darkness had been what had given him solace and vengeance for so long, for so many years, ever since that night…

She watched as he pulled the cape tighter around himself and knew that this was it, that all he was ever going to give her was a secret, a shadow.

And it wasn't enough anymore. She needed words, she needed actions, she needed others to acknowledge them. Together. In love.

She needed out of the shadows.

Walking to the door, she prayed to the gods that he would call her back, that he would find the strength within himself to shed his need for secrets, but she knew that her pleas were futile.

He was the Batman. He wouldn't change his mind. And she couldn't change him.

"I love you, Bruce," she whispered for the last time, her lips trembling with every word, the tears blinding her vision and choking her throat. "But I can't do this."

And then she left.

**_Next chapter: Lonesome Loser/Just What I Do – Business as usual for the Justice League as they do some recruiting and some rebuilding…_**

**_Please review!_**

_To Reviewer **T** – Yeah, it is sad that this story is starting to draw to a close, but there are still a few chapters to go. And I have a million ideas running around in my head, so hopefully I can get some of those out too. I'm really glad that you liked Alfred and I enjoyed the challenge. I'll have to try new things more often. These new few chapters will be an experiment of sorts though since I only have a basic idea of what to do with them. And I'll still have to work them out and make sure everything comes out like I want it too. Anyway, I'm glad that you liked the chapter and I hope that you're enjoying your holiday! Oh, and let me know about that one-shot – I have some plot bunnies to kill…_

_To Reviewer **SSJO4 Mewtwo** – I honestly have no idea why the chapters that I enjoyed writing the most or think I did the best at get the least reviews. It's just a fact. I have some chapters in this story that have gotten 17 reviews and several that have gotten just 7 in comparison. I can't explain it. But anyway, I really enjoyed writing from Alfred's perspective. He's a great character and such an integral part of the entire Batman story. So I'm glad that you liked him and thanks!_

_To Reviewer **Lauren** – There's the end of BMWW. For now. They'll be back, I promise!_


	20. Just What I Do & Lonesome Loser

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the episode Initiation the characters therein. _

_On the road to recovery my dears…thanks for sticking with me through this! If you're still here, thanks! If you've given up, hope you enjoyed the ride._

_Excluding any author notes, this story will be officially end at 24 chapters. Maybe shorter if I can make it. I'm fast losing interest in this story…_

_Beta-ed by DWParsnip – Thanks!_

_Also, thanks to Lavender Gaia for answering my questions!_

**Chapter 20, Just What I Do/Lonesome Loser**

"_It's just what I do when I can't get no loving…" – Trick Pony_

"_Have you heard about the lonesome loser? Beaten by the Queen of Hearts every time…" –Little River Band _

She sat at the foot of her bed in her sister's apartment, thinking back to that fateful day months ago and wondering if she could have changed anything, if any of the words that she'd said would have been able to pierce Bruce's heart and somehow pull him from the shadows.

She had learned a lot about herself in the time following the dissolution of their secret relationship – about love and about how sometimes, the status quo simply couldn't be changed.

Diana still felt that she had done the right thing that day, no matter that she perhaps hadn't been thinking too clearly, her head filled with a fog of grief and rage that she still wasn't quite aware of how she had handled. She knew that love meant compromises, that love meant changes, no matter what the poets and people said. Love simply wasn't a static thing, never to change, never to grow. Indeed, the few months she'd had with Bruce had shown her that love was something that continually changed and grew, feeding on the emotions and the commitment of those involved.

Wrapping a blanket around her shoulders, she stared out into the city, hearing the noises of the hustle and flow outside her window and enjoying the sense of unity even as she was in isolation, separated from the hubbub that rolled through the city streets. It had taken her awhile after leaving the mansion that day to figure out what her next step would be – where she would go and what she would do. With her home in the sky having been destroyed, she knew that she would need to find a place to call her own. And eventually, she had found Donna, that little piece of her soul, who helped her find a place of her own."

Donna had taken one look at her, the solemn and dazed look that had graced her face and had immediately taken her big sister under her wing, maneuvering her to the couch, tucking her under a blanket and doing little more than holding her, giving Diana the comfort that she had so desperately needed those first few hours.

Eventually, Donna had prodded her into talking, slow hesitant phrases at first, soft breaths as she strove to contain the tears that threatened to overflow. They had eventually spilled, washing her cheeks with their salty dew and Donna had mopped them up with loving care, listening intently and rarely interrupting as Diana continued her hesitant recounting of events that had led to her being here, crying on her sister's couch and hoping that she had made the right decision.

There had been so much emotion in her that it had needed to be forcefully ejected and, for once, Diana didn't mind the flow of tears, knowing with all that had occurred over the past few days, it was a wonder that she hadn't fallen apart sooner.

But Diana realized that she was better now, that her heart was finally starting to heal with time and distance, contented by memories of happy times. The League had been operating somewhat together since the destruction of the Watchtower, but they had spent the majority of time in separate places, each trying to get past the events of the Thanagarian invasion in their own ways, in their own time and places.

After a few days rest and respite, she, for her part, had been willing to take on any problem that the populace faced and had slowly enjoyed getting back into fighting strength through intense bouts of training. While she couldn't admit to being the most active member of the League during this downtime, she also knew that Bruce had done very little outside of Gotham in that same time frame thanks to various sources who had informed her of his activities.

Donna, through her relationship with Dick, had found it quite easy to keep tabs on her significant other's father figure, particularly since things were getting better between Bruce and Dick, something that Diana was happy for him about. Diana knew that Donna was worried about her, and therefore, that worry spilled over to Dick as well by association. She never asked Donna for information, but somehow, it was always volunteered.

But she had learned things from others as well. She was well aware that J'onn was still in residence at the Manor and would continue to be so until the new Watchtower was built. And from Clark, whom she had informed that she knew of Bruce's true identity, she knew that Wayne Enterprises was once again funding the creation of a Watchtower.

There had been some talk of a meeting in the near future, to determine the exact fate of the League and to decide what their plans would be once everything was back in order, but nothing had been confirmed as of yet. Diana was still a little leery of that first face to face meeting with Bruce, wondering what emotions would rise to the surface and how she was going to handle it with the dignity and grace that it demanded.

After she had finished shedding the tears, Donna had given her words of comfort and reassurance that were still ringing in her ears:

"Love is finding that person that makes you feel completed, that makes you feel as if you don't have to hide anything from them." With a wistful gleam in her eyes, Diana had listened as Donna had detailed her definition of love, her eyes gleaming with contentment and a loveliness that lit her from within. "It's being able to share and grow with someone. When you truly love someone, Diana, you want to accommodate them, to make them happy because their happiness is your own."

Diana had found that a part of her was angry with Bruce, albeit a tiny piece, knowing that he hadn't wanted to accommodate her wishes, that he had turned her aside rather than take a hesitant step forward. She knew that she had been asking a lot of him, that the shadows had been his home for so long, but she supposed that she had just wanted some sign, some hint of need from him, something that would tell her that he would be willing to compromise, to find some way of taking their relationship from the secret stage to the public forum, at least among their friends.

A lot to ask for a man like Bruce, but something she had needed, something that she had decided was necessary for her heart and her sanity. She wasn't ashamed of what they had meant to each other, of all that they had been together, and there was still a little niggle of worry in herself that he hadn't cared to the same extent.

But she had, for the most part, ignored that piece of her subconscious, telling herself that Bruce had been a man of the shadows and secrets for so long, it was simply second nature. Perhaps she had been wrong to ask him to change, for their relationship to change, but it had been important to her. Still was, for that matter.

And she couldn't deny that she continued to love him, that although she was disappointed with the way that things had gone, there would always be hope lodged in her soul that they would find their way back to one another.

--VvV—

The first thing that he heard were the footsteps. Ensconced in the bat-cave, in the shroud of darkness, Bruce had taken to protecting Gotham with a single-minded vigilance that his followers were a bit leery of and found worrying. He had always been dedicated, but lately, Bruce had been focused on Gotham to the exclusion of all else, even slacking a bit in the Bruce Wayne schmoozing and debauchery department. Sure, he still flirted with the socialites and made like an idiot to the general public, but there was a hint of something in his eyes now that simply hadn't been there before, albeit something few, if any, outside the Bat-clan would recognize, much less decipher.

But a few knew exactly what that look meant and exactly who and what had put it there.

Alfred had, of course, realized the truth and the implications of the princess leaving the manor that day almost immediately, almost as if he had known that Bruce wouldn't be able to sustain that relationship for long, as if he knew that at some point, Diana would ask for more than Bruce would be willing to give.

He had been willing to give what he thought he could, and to Alfred's mind, that was pitifully less than a woman like Diana deserved or needed. Master Bruce was more than capable of being in a proper relationship, but he always had a part of himself in reserve. It was understandable, of course, but Alfred had always hoped that one day, some woman would be able to come along and break down those barriers. Some had come closer than others, but all had eventually failed in the task. Who could blame them? The man was as stubborn as a dog with a bone and unwilling to put aside his past in order to focus on his future, something Alfred simply couldn't countenance.

After all, he wanted babies, children to bounce on his knee and light up the Manor as it had been in those happy days after Master Bruce's birth, in those years before his parents had been so cruelly stripped from him.

In Alfred's opinion, as much as the bat was necessary to Master Bruce's survival, so was a slice of happiness and a life, a little light to counter all the darkness that Master Bruce chose to face on a daily basis. A man needed balance, after all.

But it wasn't Alfred making the trek down the stairs into the Bat-cave from Wayne Manor, into the darkness that enveloped the area and the man like a tomb.

"What are you doing here?" Bruce's voice lashed out through the gloom of the cave.

"What? I'm no longer allowed to drop by anymore, Bruce?" came the voice of Dick Grayson in a teasing rejoinder.

Bruce ignored his former protégé, continuing to stare at the computer as if it held all the answers to the questions plaguing him. And while Dick knew that this was a sure sign that Bruce wasn't in the mood for any kind of laughter, he simply couldn't help himself, particularly since his adopted father was so clearly not in the right frame of mind for a little fun.

Propping himself up against the computer desk, he crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at the side of Bruce's face. "So, read any good books lately?"

When Bruce simply remained silent, Dick continued, "I can't say that I have either. I'm doing just great, by the way, Bruce, thanks for asking. Donna and I are doing great. You remember Donna, right?"

As Bruce kept up the silent treatment, ignoring Dick's banter, the former Boy Wonder couldn't help but persist with his one-sided conversation. Taking a few steps into the back of the cave, he stated, just a hint of laughter in his voice, "Donna, Donna Troy." And then facing Bruce's back, he watched, noticing every minute detail as he said, "Diana's sister."

And because he was watching, he saw the barely perceptible flinch before Bruce controlled the movement and that told him everything he needed to know. He laid a hand on his adopted father's shoulder and murmured, "Hurts, doesn't it?"

Bruce paused in his typing for a second, keeping his eyes firmly on the computer, before gruffly telling his son, voice even deeper and more gravely than usual, as if he was straining to control his emotions, even when speaking, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come off it, Bruce!" Dick exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air, his face growing angry and incredulous at Bruce's words. "At least admit that you miss her!"

Bruce stayed quiet for several long moments, presumably ignoring Dick's words, and as Dick strode off towards the stairs, wondering why he had thought making this effort would help anything, he heard a voice state from behind him, "It's complicated."

Quickly turning around, but standing in place, Dick wryly murmured, "What relationship isn't?"

"Look, Bruce," Dick continued, taking pity on his father and former mentor and hoping that for once, Bruce would drag himself out of the shadows and realize what exactly he'd given up, "Relationships are always going to have complications. And maybe I'm not the best authority on this topic, but I have found that love isn't something worth giving up, not when it's with the right person. It took me a long time and a lot of relationships to understand that and hopefully, I get things right this time."

And as he turned around, starting up the steps into the Manor where Alfred had lunch prepared, wondering if Bruce would listen for once, he quietly stated over his shoulder into the darkness, "You of all people, Bruce, should know that some things are worth fighting for."

**_Next chapter: Fire & Ice/Starting Something – The first face to face meeting of BMWW and a plan is hatched…_**

**_Please review!_**

**_I know that you're all out there, reading this, and I would really appreciate it if you'd take just a minute to let me know what you're thinking about the story – a favorite line, a favorite moment, worst chapter, worst line I've written, best/worst character I write, whatever – I'd love to hear them!_**

_Short and sweet responses – sorry!_

_To Reviewer T – Don't worry. I have an idea for a one-shot for you. I'm hoping to do a lot of them soon – you just wait!_

_To Reviewer Lauren – Thanks! Yup, I definitely don't understand French humor. But I have a weird sense of humor, or so I think. And tension and eventually they'll be together again!_

_To Reviewer SSJO4 Mewtwo – I always want to forget the 4 in your name when I type. No idea why. Anyway, yup, short and sad it was and I hope you liked this chapter! At least one more this week as well…_


	21. Fire & Ice

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the episode Initiation the characters therein. _

_Okay, so I'm taking out two chapters because I think that not only am I losing interest in the story, looks like all of you are too. So, after this chapter you're reading, one chapter left and I'm calling it a done deal. If you want me to include the two chapters I'm planning on taking out, you'll have to convince me – they included a double date, hatching a plan to get BMWW back together by Dick, Donna, and a certain member of the team…_

_Also, after this story is finished, I'm going to take a break from the BMWW saga I've been writing for awhile. I think I'll just finish Come Cryin', write a ton of one-shots, and I'm currently co-authoring a story as well that should be up in the next few weeks! Busy little bee is me…_

_Betaed by DWParsnip._

**Chapter 21, Fire & Ice**

"_Fire and ice; you come on like a flame; then you turn a cold shoulder…" – Pat Benatar_

And as he turned around, starting up the steps into the Manor where Alfred had lunch prepared, wondering if Bruce would listen for once, he quietly stated over his shoulder into the darkness, "You of all people, Bruce, should know that some things are worth fighting for."

--VvV—

Dick's words had been echoing in his head for days now, rattling around and finally forcing him to pull the words out and analyze him as he knew that he should. They'd rung true from the first instant that his adopted son had uttered them, the very statement that ripped into his heart and made him take a long, hard look at his life and what he'd managed to accomplish with it because he did indeed know that some things were worth fighting for.

His parents' memory had always been worth fighting for. They had given him life and their lives and their deaths had made him into the man that he was known as, the cowled crime fighter of Gotham City who prowled in the darkness to give his city protection and soothe his need to avenge the death of his parents in some form and fashion.

The night that he'd lost them, he'd lost everything.

Or so he'd thought at the time. But he'd had some constant remain in his life – his house, his memories and, of course, Alfred. He had come to depend on Alfred in so many ways, he mused, leaning back in his chair and staring blankly around the room, his mind wrapped up in his thoughts and his reflections.

And Alfred had never failed to let Bruce know exactly where he stood in the butler's life – as a kind of son, one he never hesitated to chastise or find fault with but love whole heartedly nonetheless. Bruce always knew exactly where he stood in Alfred's eyes.

Except lately.

Since the day that Shayera had walked out of the League and Diana had walked out of his life, Alfred had been remarkably quiet, saying very little to Master Bruce about the entire incident. It was decidedly odd that Dick had been the first one to say anything to him about the falling out between himself and Diana, Bruce considered. Alfred so rarely didn't poke into his life and affairs that Bruce found this change startling by comparison and was now contemplating the reason for his butler-cum-father's silence.

He thought back to Dick's words for a moment, about how some things are worth fighting for. He understood the sentiment, but he wasn't sure if he could apply it to his current situation, his broken relationship with Diana.

He knew only now that he missed her – that at odd times, he could smell her scent on the pillows, could remember the press of her mouth on his own, could feel the touch of her hand on his shoulder as he worked in the cave. Looking around him now, into the darkness that surrounded him, he considered for a second that she was right – he did live in the shadows and the darkness, the secrets and the lies.

In part, it was what had kept him alive. But, he had never been afraid to take a risk, not like the one that he would have been taking with Diana. It was one thing to have a relationship just amidst himself and his team, people he trusted almost implicitly. But they had just found a traitor in the Justice League and a part of him wondered at the rest of them, whether or not they could be trusted.

He dismissed that thought almost immediately though. They had all known for months now his true identity and none of them had come forward to the press or the public. Still, that possibility was always lurking, always possible. People could always be tempted or coerced.

He had also just wanted Diana to himself – now he didn't have her at all. She had walked out of his life and he hadn't even seen her since that night months ago. It had taken the loss of her warmth to realize just how cold his life truly was, how much he relied on the darkness and the secrets.

And it had taken until now, as he stared across the table at the beauty of the Amazon Princess, to realize that Dick was right.

He had never once fought for Diana, he realized, he had simply let her walk right out of his life and his home without trying to stop her, without giving her any indication in those last hours that he wanted her to be a part of his life.

He had told himself that he would be fine – that things would be back to normal and better than ever. He would find someone else, someone that fit him better than a princess, someone who didn't make demands or question him.

And yet, he had awoken from dreams reaching for her, had spent hours on patrol unwilling to face a house empty and devoid of life in her absence, and had generally been more irritable and unbearable than usual to everyone that he had come in contact with, even during the daytime hours.

It was difficult to admit but now that he was in her presence, now that she was just across the table, looking radiant, he knew that he had missed her.

A difficult thing for a man like him to admit, especially when the woman in question hadn't even given him a second glance, had simply walked into the meeting, cool and calm, laughing at one of Flash's jokes and sipping an iced mocha.

It was an odd thing to be jealous of, but Bruce suddenly wished that he could trade places with that mug of mocha, that he could bring that light to her eyes that Flash did, or that he could so casually strike up a conversation with her like Clark.

But he wasn't that kind of man. Instead, he had stayed seated in his chair, glad that his eyes were concealed by his cowl and that no one else could detect that his gaze and his mind were centered on Diana.

Still, he kept an ear on the conversation and when it turned to the idea of expanding the League, even though he had some apprehensions about their trustworthiness, no matter who they were, he was all for some additional help. Additional resources here meant that he could spend the majority of his time in Gotham, where he belonged. He still felt uncomfortable leaving it in the hands of others.

Plus, he had a few recommendations for new Leaguers…

"Question," he said brusquely.

"That guy?" Flash exclaimed, rolling his eyes and making a face. "He's so weird!"

"Question," he repeated without even looking at Flash.

"Any other suggestions?" Superman asked.

The conversation continued to roll around the table as every put their two cents in, trying to figure out who would add additional strengths and necessary skills to the League in their quest for expansion. Meanwhile, Bruce knew that the funds were rapidly falling into place, courtesy of a little creative accounting for Wayne Enterprises. The new Watchtower was currently on its way to being completely finished and operational, hopefully in the next few weeks. Hence the need to meet today in Wayne Manor, yet again.

It was almost a repeat of the last time that the six of them had been together – the same room, the sun sinking outside the windows, the same mahogany table around which they had sat, deciding the fate of the League and of Shayera Hol. The faces were the same, even if the expressions were different, but today was about the rebirth of the Justice League, a new beginning with new members, new facilities, and in some ways, a new outlook.

But for some of them, he thought, looking at John in the chair beside him and sneaking a glance at Diana, things were very different now than they had been just months before. And yet, at this meeting, just like at the last, they all went their separate ways at the end. And so, he watched as she walked out again, Dick's words rolling through his brain and he pondered exactly what was worth fighting for.

**_Next chapter: Second Chance – explanations and a little honesty between BMWW…_**

_**Also, is it just me or are the alerts finally almost working again?**_

_To Reviewer Somebody Important – Honestly? There's a part of me that is just ready to quit writing this story exactly as it is. I just don't any enthusiasm for it anymore and in the beginning, I just loved writing it. And your suggestion has some merit – to leave them in this relationship state until after This Little Piggy, but I just can't do it. I'm going to get them back together somehow and then call it a day with this saga for awhile. I'm not in the mood to be tied down to a story, so I'm accepting ideas for one-shots!_

_To Reviewer Lauren – Thanks! That's interesting. I've definitely never heard the phrase before in my life. But then, I'm learning new things every day. Hehe._

_To Reviewer SSJO4 Mewtwo – Yeah, I can see where you'd think that Dick needs to beat it into Bruce's head. But I also think that sometimes, few words are better than many, particularly with Bruce. And I think those last words of Dick's will get him thinking – hopefully! I'm ready for this story to be done._


	22. Second Chance

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Justice League or the episode Starcrossed or the episode Initiation the characters therein. _

_For a note on what I'm planning to do after this, please read the section after the end of the story. Thanks for all the reviews and support you all have given me throughout this story! I ended up with an amount of reviews that I never expected and I'm so glad that you all let me know what you were thinking throughout this story and I hope that you continue! I appreciate all the feedback and I hope that you all enjoyed the journey through this story… -Heidi, ALSW _

_Thanks to LG and JLAFan for the help!_

**Chapter 22, Second Chance, by 38 Special**

"_Since you been gone, I've been in a trance; this heart needs a second chance; Don't say it's over, I just can't say goodbye…" – 38 Special_

"**You of all people, Bruce, should know that some things are worth fighting for."**

Several days after the Justice League called their first meeting since the Watchtower had been destroyed, Diana woke early to the sight of the sun rising and a cacophony of birds outside her window. As of late, she had finally been getting her requisite amount of sleep, but this morning, she knew that the time for wallowing in bed was finished. Judging by what she could see out of her window, it wasn't a morning for cocooning herself into the warmth of the pillows and comforter, but a day to get outside, to finally rid herself of this funk that she'd been in for months.

Throwing back the covers, she yawned and slowly raised herself from the bed, grabbing her robe off of the bedpost and wrapping it around herself as she walked over to the window. Outside, she could see the city in all its glory, all the movements and people that it was compromised of. The early morning crowd of businessmen was striding down the streets, fast-paced, coffees and caffeine firmly in hand as their legs ate up the length of the sidewalk. A crew of construction workers was razing a nearby building, their bright yellow equipment and the noise it emitted grabbing her attention and suddenly, she realized that out there was the place to be this morning, out amongst the people and the world, not protecting or helping them, but simply being among them.

It seemed the perfect day to spend amongst the people, enjoying their company and just being an ordinary citizen. She couldn't remember the last time she had been ordinary, been something less than Wonder Woman. And while a small part of her mind screamed that New Year's with Bruce had only been a few months ago, the night having been spent protected by the secret identity Bruce had gifted her with, she didn't want to focus on that right now. She had shed enough tears on that man, spent enough hours in the training room beating her frustration out on anything that could handle the strain.

Which, she had discovered, was very little. Hence, the training room had been quickly depleted of any and all robotic resources and she had been reduced to taking her frustrations out else, like on any villain that happened to cross her path. Many had come to regret taking on Wonder Woman in her recent state of mind, but few, if any, knew what lay behind the mindset she'd been stuck in lately.

Well, that was done, she decided as she walked to the shower. Opening the glass door, she slid in under the rain of hot water that battered her skin, enjoying the steam that rose quickly to greet her. Once her hair was lathered and rinsed, her body soaped and washed, she grabbed a towel from the nearby rack, rubbing it briskly across her skin before wrapping it around her sopping hair with a quick and agile flip of the wrist.

She padded in bare feet out to the bedroom closet, naked having dried her hair a little and discarded the towel, her skin glowing dewy and fresh in the sunlight that streamed in through the window. Reaching into the closet, she unhurriedly pulled out a red t-shirt and a long black skirt, throwing them on before grabbing a pair of black mid-calf boots that resembled the style of her Wonder Woman boots and a black quilted jacket, perfect for a spring day in the city.

Tweaking a rubber band to tie her hair back and securing it around her wrist, she headed to the kitchen, eager for a little breakfast before her foray into the city.

"Good morning, Diana!" was Donna's greeting as Diana made her way into the kitchen. Her sister was dressed professionally, making Diana assume that she had a photo shoot that day. Donna, on the other hand, was pleased to see her sister looking so rosy and cheerful that morning and wondered what had brought about the sudden change in demeanor. Not that Diana had been moping around the apartment by any means, but she simply hadn't been her usual self in the wake of her relationship's demise.

Something Dick had said recently had implied that he had taken matters into his own hands, at least a little bit, and had actually spoken to Bruce about the subject. Bruce, of course, had been his usual uncommunicative self, but to Donna, just the fact that he hadn't throw Dick out immediately gave her a little hope that things would work out between the couple. Anyone could see that the two were good for one another – they understood the job risks, they complimented in other in ways that Donna hadn't expected – not just the light and the dark, but the strength and the confidence that each of them possessed.

They were, however, as she had come to realize, also extremely strong-willed and stubbornly determined to have things their own way, the reason behind their falling out. But Donna knew that Diana still harbored feelings for the Dark Knight, that regardless of what had happened in the past, the future was what they would each make of it. Of course, that didn't mean she couldn't help it along just a little. After all, what else were sisters for?

"So," Donna began, reaching into the refrigerator for a glass of milk to cap off the omelet she'd managed to make that morning, "What are you up to today, Diana?"

"Mingling," Diana answered with a laugh. "I thought it was time I did a little sightseeing today, seeing the city outside of these four walls and actually enjoying it for once instead of fighting evil up and down its streets."

"That sounds great!" Donna exclaimed, setting down the now empty glass of milk on the kitchen counter and heading towards the door. She shrugged into her jacket, adding, "There's a great photography exhibit at the International Center for Photography if you're interested. I've been wanting to check it out, but I haven't made the time. I'd take you, but unfortunately, I'm pretty tied up with work today." Grabbing her purse from where it lay over the back of a chair, she slung it over her shoulder before turning to look at her sister once more. "Enjoy yourself, okay, sweetheart?"

"I will," Diana promised, smiling happily at her sister. Hearing the footsteps that signified her sister's departure, she glanced towards the cabinets, wondering what to make herself for breakfast this morning and suddenly missing the amenities of the Watchtower.

"Oh, Diana?" Diana questioned, popping her head back in the door. "I meant to tell you – there's this great little ice cream shop near the park that everyone has been raving about. Why don't you check it out and then decide whether it's worth a return trip for the Wonder Girls? We'll take Cassie and call it a girl's night out sometime if it's any good."

"Sounds like a plan," Diana answered, only half paying attention to her sister in her search for food. And thanks to her preoccupation, she never saw the mischievous smile on her sister's scheming face as she left Diana to make a phone call…

--VvV—

The morning had been filled with nothing but relaxation and exploration of the city that she had in recent months called home. She'd wandered through a few museums, bought herself an iced mocha, and even perused the local bookstores looking for something that caught her eye. In the end, she'd left empty handed, but the iced mocha and the people that surrounded her reminded her of the things that she loved about Man's World. She hadn't been entirely sure of what to expect after her arrival – she had simply known that she'd had to go, that she was receiving a summons that she intended to answer. And with that answer, she'd eventually lost her home and her contact with the women that she'd called sisters for so long.

But much good had come out of her time in Man's World, from the simple things like the taste of an iced mocha to the things that required so much more of her – her strength, her faith, even her heart. She realized now as she walked down the street, a part of that hustle and bustle, that she had become an element of this world and she wasn't sure that she'd ever truly realized that before. She fit here, sometimes a little awkwardly, but certainly she had made a place for herself in this world, protecting its citizens and spreading the Amazonian principles of peace, hope, and the dream for a better future, albeit in her own small way.

Hearing her stomach growl slightly, she remembered Donna's words from this morning about the ice cream place and decided to be decadent, to make the dessert her lunch for the day. Why not? Today was about Diana, about getting back out into the world and making time to be amongst the people and not just the nastier elements of this society.

Noticing an ice cream shop painted in bright colors along the outskirts of the park, she headed in that direction, suddenly in the mood for a chocolate ice cream cone. It seemed like the perfect day for chocolate. The weather was breezy, but still warm for spring and she relished in being out in the sunshine, enjoying the feel of the wind on her cheeks, feeling the tendrils of hair whip around from her ponytail, hitting her in the face as she continued over the green expanse of lawn towards the ice cream shop.

Entering, she heard the jangle of bells from the door overhead and couldn't help but smile. The shop was about half filled with people – mothers with babies, fathers with toddlers, and the occasional lone adult such as herself enjoying something that she imagined reminded them of their childhood.

Stepping up to the counter, she heard the backbeat of some catchy pop song playing in the background as she perused the gallons of ice cream behind the glass window just below the counter. Everything looked delicious, but she finally elected to stick to her original choice of plain old chocolate. Sometimes there was no reason to mess with a good thing, she decided.

Ordering the cone, she continued along the shuffle of people until she came to the register. Reaching behind her to pull her wallet out of her purse, she was surprised to see a familiar hand pass through her view, a crisp clean five dollar bill in clasped in his elegant fingers. A shiver running down her spine, she turned to see the handsome face of Bruce Wayne staring at her as he told the cashier, "Keep the change."

Her stunned fingers somehow managed to retain a hold of her ice cream cone as Bruce took her elbow, reaching behind her to grab a fistful of napkins, never once taking his eyes from hers. Once her surprise managed to fade, she realized that they were halfway outside and she had no idea what was going on, why Bruce had invaded her life in this way, and what he was doing here, clutching her elbow and paying for her afternoon treat.

"Bruce?" she stuttered and then stopped dead in the middle of the park, trying to get a hold of herself and a hold on what he was doing here, why he was here, beside her, looking for all the world as if he were relaxed and almost content. Content for Bruce, anyway, she mused.

And then he turned back to face her and she could see a hint of something else in his eyes that hadn't quite translated to his unperturbed body language, something that looked to her like nerves or hesitation, each of which were things that she wasn't even sure she could correlate with Bruce.

Then she realized, he wasn't here as the confident, domineering Batman or as the foppish, debonair playboy – he was here just as Bruce. He was dressed casually, at least according to Alfred's standards, in pressed khakis and a white button down shirt opened at the collar. He still had that rakish air of Bruce Wayne, but something about him told her that this was Bruce, the one that he had for so long tried to hide from the world, even from her. But she knew this man – they had spent Christmas together, entwined in each other and enjoying the solitude – yes, she knew this man.

Looking him directly in the eye, ice cream cone still in her hand but forgotten as she demanded, "What are you doing here?"

He stared back at her for a moment before, in an uncharacteristic movement for his counterpart, closing his eyes for a second and rubbing his hand along the back of his neck in a restless movement. Glancing up at her, he asked, "Do you mind if we sit down for a minute?"

She strode over to the nearest park bench, Bruce on her heels. Taking a seat on the wooden slats, she took a lick of her ice cream cone, deciding to enjoy it even if she wasn't entirely sure what was going on.

After a few moments of silence, the only sounds those of the children playing around them and the wind whipping through the trees, Bruce finally said, "I should have said something that day. I shouldn't have let you walk out like that."

She turned to him in surprise but only got his profile. This was the first sign she'd received from the man that he had any regrets over what had happened between them. She supposed that this was his way of clearing the slate so that they could develop a working relationship that didn't include totally ignoring each other.

"At the time," he continued, staring out over the park, watching the toddlers on the swing set, the teenagers tossing a Frisbee, and the dog barking happily as he contemplated his words. "I thought you were asking too much of me, asking too much of us. I've lived my life in a certain way for a long time, Diana, and it's difficult to make adjustments to that lifestyle."

Saying nothing, she continued to lick her ice cream cone, letting him speak, letting the words pour out, wondering if this was in fact going the way that she had expected it to.

"You fit in better than I'd expected," he murmured, still staring ahead. "You didn't make demands, you understood what Gotham means to me, you charmed Alfred, and brought me into the light in a way that no one else has ever done."

"You scare me," he said, finally turning to her, a slight smile twisting his lips. "And if you ever repeat that to anyone, I'll deny it profusely."

"I scare you?" she reiterated, quickly finishing the cone so that she could concentrate on what was going on around her, on the words that Bruce was saying, words that she'd never expected to hear.

"I'm a loner, Diana. The past has shown me that it's easier to be alone and being who am I has taught me that emotions can get in the way of duty."

He turned towards her, just a little, and added, "And then you squeezed your way into my life in a way that I haven't yet begun to understand. You didn't need me to make adjustments because you just worked your way into the holes in my life, holes I refused to believe were there."

Placing his hand gently on her knee, he continued, "Then you asked for me to make an adjustment, to let the team know about us, and I backed away, pulling back into the suit and the shadows because it was easier."

"It's hard to admit that my son may actually have proven me wrong in anything, but Dick told me something that stuck in my brain until I couldn't help but analyze it and consider it."

"And what did he say?" Diana asked softly, placing her hand over his on her knee and linking their fingers in a gesture of understanding. He looked down at their joined hands for a second and then looked her in the face and as blue eyes met blue eyes, he murmured, "He told me that some things were worth fighting for."

With the boldness that so often characterized Wonder Woman, Diana asked, "Are we worth it, Bruce?"

Taking his free hand, he raised it and gently let it brush down her cheek in gesture that made her think that she'd finally managed to pierce the tough outer shell, that she'd finally gotten through to the man that lay beneath the Batman. It had certainly taken long enough, but somehow, she had the feeling that it was worth it.

The months they'd spent apart faded with the honestly of his face, in the truth what he was saying, and she knew now that she had pushed him that day and he hadn't been ready. Truthfully, she hadn't been either. It had been the emotions of the day talking, the hours spent wondering if they would survive the day, if they would continue as the Justice League, and it had taken its toll on her emotions, on her mental state.

She still wanted them to open up to the team about their relationship and that wasn't something she was willing to compromise about. She was ready to emerge from the shadows with their relationship and she still needed to know that he felt the same way, that he was ready to tell the team.

"Yes," he said shortly, reverting to his usual monosyllabic ways. Then, squeezing her hand for a second, he continued, "And I'm willing to tell _some_ members of the team, at least now. J'onn already knows, but I'm not sure that I'm ready for Flash to have that kind of knowledge, that kind of ammunition for hilarity at my expense."

Leaning over and pressing a firm kiss to his lips, she pulled back smiling as she said, "You know, Clark has a birthday coming up…"

**_The End of the BMWW saga. For now._**

_**Comments appreciated.**_

_**Any suggestions for one-shots that you'd like to see in the future? I have a bevy of them, but I'll definitely take suggestions as well!**_

**_And just to clear this up – I do plan to eventually get back into this saga and keep writing it. I just want a little time away to do some other stuff and try new things. I'm coauthoring a story called What Might Have Been which should be coming out relatively soon and I'm trying to write an original story about how BMWW got together as well. So don't expect me to fade away!_**

_To Reviewer **butterflyV** – Thanks for the review! I hope that you like what I did with this chapter, that Bruce did in fact take Dick's words to heart and finally do something about them! He does need and want her, doesn't he?_

_To Reviewer **Ariana** – Okay, it's really less about you all losing interest and much, much more about me losing interest in the story. It's getting to the point where I just didn't want to write the chapters. The last one I'd planned to go much further with and couldn't, just wasn't in the mood. I'm not sure what happened. And as for reviews, I wasn't expecting a number anywhere near what I have now, so I'm thrilled and very pleasantly surprised! So, I'm sorry, but I'm still not doing the other two chapters – I'm ready to move on to some other stuff – some one-shots and other stories as well. But I appreciate your review and it's nice to hear how much you all appreciate my writing! I try my best!_

_To Reviewer **SSJO4 Mewtwo** – A lot of people, I think, give up once the story becomes longer and more involved, once it goes past a few chapters. I'm not sure if I prefer reading long stories or one-shots either and I certainly don't mind writing either. Yup, too many annoying plot bunnies to continue this story! I think I have a list of about thirty one-shots…Thanks for the review!_

_To Reviewer **T** – Thanks! I'm glad that you liked the last chapter. I wasn't entirely sure where to go with it, other than to show his regrets and that he's at least considering Dick's words._

_**And for those of who without fan fiction accounts, I beg of you – please get one or leave me an email! I feel so badly when I write one-shots and I can't respond to your reviews!**_


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